Table 2 CANTAB tests used in the study and their key output variables
Order (Core domain) | Sample | Domain and associated CANTAB test | Test description (Approximate time for Administration) | Key measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 (Executive function) |
| Spatial Working Memory (SWM) | SWM is a test of the participant’s ability to retain spatial information and to manipulate remembered items in working memory. It is a self-ordered task, which also assesses heuristic strategy. This test is a sensitive measure of frontal lobe and ‘executive’ dysfunction. It has been shown in recent studies that impaired performance on SWM emerges as a common factor in prepsychosis (8 min). | #measures for SWM include errors # measure of strategy, and latency measures. |
2 (Executive function) |
| Spatial Span (SSP) | White squares are shown, some of which briefly change colour in avariable sequence. The participant must then touch the boxes which changed colour in the same order that they were displayed by the computer (for clinical mode) or in the reverse order (for reverse mode). The number of boxes increases from 2 at the start of the test to 9 at the end, and the sequence and colour are varied through the test (10 min). | #covering span length (the longest sequence successfully recalled), errors, number of attempts and latency. |
