B – 92 Evaluating Cognitive Flexibility and Cultural Sensitivity Across Modalities Using the Computerized Memory Intelligence Test (CMIT)

Abstract Objective The present study evaluates the Computerized Memory Intelligence Test (CMIT), a novel digitized tool designed to assess visual, verbal, and auditory memory. Originally developed by the World Health Organization during the HIV epidemic to detect memory deficits across diverse populations, the CMIT offers a culturally fair, multimodal framework for neuropsychological assessment. This study investigates which stimulus type—pictures (control), words (reading), or audio—is associated with greater cognitive flexibility, as measured by memory performance. Method This between-subjects design used archival data drawn from the UCLA Undergraduate Research Initiative database. Participants were grouped by stimulus type: visual (pictures; N = 14,632), verbal (words; N = 3,315), and auditory (audio; N = 740). Performance on each modality was analyzed to determine comparative efficacy in memory encoding and retrieval. Visual memory served as the control condition. Results Preliminary analyses reveal significant differences in performance across modalities, with visual stimuli producing the most consistent results due to cultural sensitivity. Word-based performance demonstrated moderate variability compared to the picture condition (p<.0001), while auditory performance exhibited the most significant variability and lowest average scores (p<.0001). This suggests cultural bias in processing auditory and verbal information compared to pictures. Conclusion Findings support that CMIT’s use of pictures as stimuli is more culturally sensitive in detecting memory performance and its potential utility as a globally applicable, cross-cultural, scalable neuropsychological assessment tool. The platform’s design enhances accessibility, reduces examiner bias, and holds clinical relevance for populations affected by cognitive decline, including those living with HIV.