JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Teleneuropsychology (TNP) has evidenced to be a crucial tool in the assessment and treatment of individuals with limited access to in-person health services. Studies in Latin America are scarce and there is a pressing need for studies that test the feasibility of TNP and contribute to the development of tools, models, and validations, and the establishment of normative data for the diverse populations of the region.

Objective:

Conduct a pilot study to test feasibility and generate normative data for a Teleneuropsychology protocol in a Panamanian sample.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, community-based study derived from the Development and Validation of Teleneuropsychology Normative Data for Older Adults in Florida (FLOAT study). The study’s final sample will include 150 participants (50 years and older). Participants will first undergo an initial screening to determine their eligibility and will be included if they have a basic understanding of and access to technological devices such as telephones, tablets, or computers, are free of cognitive impairment and/or serious health conditions and provide informed consent. Moreover, participants complete two questionnaires: an adapted Spanish version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status of Memory (TICS-M) and the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) Health Questionnaire to determine if they can continue in the study. Participants who are eligible will be assessed with a TNP cognitive battery and answer questionnaires via a REDCap link.

Results:

To date, 67 participants ≥50 years of age (M=62.2, SD=7.6) have been assessed with questionnaires and a complete cognitive test battery. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics show participants on average had 16.7 years (SD = 1.9) of formal education. Participants showed a high degree of functional independence in performing basic and instrumental activities of daily living and had 1.5 symptoms of depression (SD = 1.8). Regarding the teleneuropsychological tests, when divided by sex, participants showed no significant differences in most tests, except for the MINT naming test, where a higher score was observed in males than females (p < .001). A similar pattern was observed in the verbal fluency test, with males performing better than females (p = .032). A satisfaction questionnaire revealed most participants were satisfied (33.8%) or very satisfied (60%) with the teleneuropsychological assessment, and most participants would recommend this study to others.

Conclusions:

So far, the present study has proven feasible, yet, augmenting the number of participants is necessary to be able to create normative data. This study will be the first in the country and the Central American region to explore and establish teleneuropsychology as a new assessment method, specifically in elderly populations.