Nonverbal Neurocognitive Assessment during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 Pandemic: the Effect of Personal Protective Equipment

Objective: The coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic has increased personal protective equipment (PPE) use in medical settings. The current study examined the effect of PPE on a nonverbal measure of neurocognitive functioning.

Methods: The Leiter International Performance Scale, Third Edition (Leiter-3) was administered to 125 children between the ages of three and eight. Fifty-nine children were assessed twice without any PPE and 66 were assessed once without and once with PPE. Group differences on composite scores were evaluated using a repeated measures design, accounting for sex, school attendance, socioeconomic status, and HIV status.

Results: Nonverbal IQ scores increased significantly between test administrations for both groups, but no significant interaction between PPE group and scores on Leiter-3 composites was found.

Conclusions: No main effect of PPE on Leiter-3 outcomes was found. These results suggest clinical and research work using a nonverbal neurocognitive assessment can be completed when PPE is required.