Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Neuropsychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1456619
This article is part of the Research Topic Methodological and Technical Issues of Tele-neuropsychology: Remote Cognitive Assessment and Intervention Across the Life Span. View all articles

Normative Study of SATURN: A Digital, Self-administered, Open-Source Cognitive Assessment Tool for Italians Aged 50-80

Provisionally accepted
Francesco Giaquinto Francesco Giaquinto 1*Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi 2Giuliana Leccese Giuliana Leccese 3Daniele Romano Daniele Romano 4Paola Angelelli Paola Angelelli 3
  • 1 Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
  • 2 Centre for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
  • 3 Laboratory of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of Medicine, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
  • 4 Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study aimed to establish normative data for the Self-Administered Tasks Uncovering Risk of Neurodegeneration (SATURN), a brief computer-based test for global cognitive assessment through accuracy and response times on tasks related to memory, attention, temporal orientation, visuo-constructional abilities, math (calculation), executive functions, and reading speed. A sample of 323 neurologically healthy Italian individuals with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) equivalent score ≥ 1 (180 females; average age: 61.33 years; average education: 11.32 years), stratified by age, education, and sex, completed SATURN using PsychoPy, and a paper-and-pencil protocol consisting of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Data analyses included: (i) correlations between the total accuracy scores of SATURN and those of MMSE and MoCA; (ii) multiple regressions to determine the impact of sex, age, and education, along with the computation of adjusted scores; (iii) the calculation of inner and outer tolerance limits, equivalent scores, and the development of correction grids. The mean total time on tasks was 6.72±3.24 minutes. Age and education significantly influence the SATURN total accuracy, while sex influences the total time on tasks. Specific sociodemographic characteristics influence subdomain accuracies and times on task differently. For the adjusted SATURN total score, the outer limit corresponds to 16.56 out of 29.00 (cut-off), while the inner limit is 18.57. SATURN significantly correlates with MMSE and MoCA. In conclusion, SATURN is the first open-source digital tool for initial cognitive assessment in Italy, showing potential for self-administration in primary care, and remote administration. Future studies need to assess its sensitivity and specificity in detecting pathological cognitive decline.

    Keywords: cognitive assessment1, self-administered cognitive test2, computer based test3, ageing4, normative data5 ha eliminato: neurologically healthy

    Received: 28 Jun 2024; Accepted: 14 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Giaquinto, Assecondi, Leccese, Romano and Angelelli. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Francesco Giaquinto, Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.