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Cited by 343Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchPsychological Testing and AssessmentHistorical and Modern Theater Studies

Practice effects due to serial cognitive assessment: Implications for preclinical Alzheimer's disease randomized controlled trials

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Goldberg, Terry E., Harvey, Philip D., Wesnes, Keith A., Snyder, Peter J., Schneider, Lon S.·2015·Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
DOI 10.1016/j.dadm.2014.11.003PMC PMC4876902
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Abstract

Introduction: Practice effects are characteristic of nearly all standard cognitive tasks when repeated during serial assessments and are frequently important confounders in clinical trials. Methods: We summarize evidence that gains in neuropsychological test performance scores associated with practice effects occur as artifactual changes associated with serial testing within clinical trials. We identify and emphasize such gains in older, non–cognitively impaired individuals and estimate an effect size of 0.25 for composite cognitive measures in older populations assessed three times in a 6‐ to 12‐month period. Results: We identified three complementary approaches that can be used to attenuate practice effects: (1) massed practice in a prebaseline period to reduce task familiarity effects; (2) tests designed to reduce practice‐related gains so that item‐specific driven improvements are minimized by using tasks that minimize strategy and/or maximize interitem interference; and (3) well‐matched alternate forms. Discussion: We have drawn attention to and increased awareness of practice effect–related gains that could result in type 1 or type 2 errors in trials. Successfully managing practice effects will eliminate a large source of error and reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation of clinical trials outcomes.

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Authors
Goldberg, T. E., Harvey, P. D., Wesnes, K. A., Snyder, P. J., & Schneider, L. S.
Affiliations
  • Northwell Health (US)
  • University of Miami (US)
  • Wesnes Cognition Streatley on Thames UK
  • Brown University (US)
  • University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Goldberg, Terry E.
ORCID
Venue
Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-03
Volume
1
Issue
1
Pages
103-111
ISSN
2352-8729 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.dadm.2014.11.003
PMC
PMC4876902
OpenAlex
W2079020664
Cited by
343
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3
FWCI
13.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (3R01 AG038734)
  • U.S. Department of Defense (W81XWH‐12‐1‐0084)
  • National Institutes of Health (P50 AG05142, R01 AG033288, R01 AG037561, UF1 AG046148)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
Keywords
practice effects, preclinical Alzheimer's disease, randomized controlled trials, neuropsychological test performance, older adults, alternate test forms, test familiarity, type I and type II errors

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