Translation, validation, and standardization of the measurement and treatment research to improve cognition in schizophrenia consensus cognitive battery for the brazilian population

• Grant number: 10/10788-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: January 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
• Grantee: Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandra Gotuzo Seabra ; Jaime Eduardo Cecilio Hallak ; Wagner Farid Gattaz

Abstract

Cognitive deficits are core features of schizophrenia. However, there was no consensus about identification and standardization of which neuropsychological measures might be useful for: a) assessment of cognitive deficits that are related to schizophrenia; b) Efficacy assessment of clinical trials of schizophrenia with focus in cognitive improvement. Recognizing the need for medications targeted at the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, in 2002 the National Institutes of Health (USA) sponsored the most important initiative that aimed to develop a Consensual Cognitive Battery for schizophrenia, The MATRICS Initiative (Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia). In spite of being quite important for assessing cognition in clinical trials, such battery has not been validated for use in Brazil. Objective: to translate, validate, and standardize the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery in Brazil Method: The present study will follow three steps: Step 1- Professional translation to Portuguese, adaptation, and back-translation of the MATRICS. Thereafter, a conduction of a pilot study will take place. In this first step, 45 individual with schizophrenia and 45 healthy volunteers will be evaluated. Step 2- Validation and reliability study of the MATRICS with 160 individuals with schizophrenia and 300 healthy subjects from four regions of Brazil will be evaluated. All the participants will be submitted to the MCCB, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, and the Brief Psychosis Rating Scale. Step 3- Derivation of Normative Scores with and without demographic characteristics corrections. Results: It is expected that the adapted version of the MATRICS present adequate face validity, sensibility, adequate reliability, low learning effect, and good correlation indexes with functional outcomes. This study will provide essential tools for developing cognitive studies in Brazil and becoming part of an international investigational effort towards cognitive remediation in schizophrenia. The project team has demonstrated consistency and efficiency on conducting multicenter projects, which is crucial to achieve success in large projects. (AU)