Patient and Clinician Takeaways on the CognICA: Chris Kalafatis, MD, MRCPsych

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

“My message to patients would be that the test can be used in at-risk groups, as one would take blood pressure on a yearly basis to understand the risk of cardiovascular disease, and if so, monitor it in an efficient and objective way. Of course, for individuals with a known diagnosis, I think it can help with understanding mild cognitive impairment very specifically and dementia early, when it really matters.”

The CognICA, a new integrated cognitive assessment from Cognetivity Neurosciences, recently met requirements of regulations 21 CFR 882.1470; Class II Exempt Medical Device, following review by the FDA. The 5-minute computerized assessment provides objective measures of cognitive function for clinical evaluation of adults between the ages of 55 and 90 years. 

Chris Kalafatis, MD, MRCPsych, chief medical officer, Cognetivity; consultant in Old Age Psychiatry, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; and affiliate, King’s College London, sat down with NeurologyLive® to discuss the assessment, noting that it offers unique benefits for both patients and clinicians. Although the CognICA was originally designed for studies into dementias, the test was also evaluated patients with multiple sclerosis. Kalafatis emphasized that the test is accurate in highlighting cognitive impairment in this patient population, noting that the CognICA can map physical and neurorehabilitation improvements, and objectively correlate with levels of fluid biomarkers. 

For clinicians, the test serves as an objective assessment, Kalafatis said, standing out in comparison to “crude” standard-of-care pen-and-paper tests. Clinicians will also experience and increase in their time, he said, as the test does not need to be administered by a doctor.