Validity and reliability of a cognitive function assessment tool using psychomotor function tests in patients with alcohol use disorders – a pilot study –

Abstract Background Even after alcohol detoxification, 50–80% of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) exhibit cognitive impairments, which affect key domains of social functioning, such as employment, interpersonal relationships, and communication. Therefore, it is necessary to assess cognitive function in patients with AUD in routine practice. However, existing cognitive function assessments are difficult to apply in routine practice because they require a long time, are burdensome on patients, and are limited to evaluators with special training. The present study investigated the relationship between a simple and novel assessment, called Psychomotor Function Tests (PFT), and existing Neuropsychological Tests (NT) in patients with AUD. Methods Twenty patients with AUD underwent a cognitive assessment using NT (Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Clinical Assessment for Attention (CAT)) as well as tablet-based PFT, with each assessment being conducted twice: 1 week and 2 months after alcohol detoxification with benzodiazepines. Twenty healthy controls underwent the same assessment. Results Psychomotor function assessed by PFT was significantly worse in patients with AUD than in healthy controls ( p < 0.05). At both assessment time points, PFT composite score correlated with the total FAB score ( r = 0.500, 0.458) and CAT time required ( r = -0.447, -0.496). The CRT, CTT-TT, CTT-PAT and RVIP demonstrated a degree of test-retest reliability ( r = 0.816, 0.812, 0.797, 0.676). Conclusions The correlations observed between PFT and conventional NT suggest the utility of PFT for evaluating cognitive function in patients with AUD in clinical settings.