A randomized, multicenter, crossover psychometric evaluation study of an iPad-administered cognitive test battery in participants with major depressive disorder who responded to treatment with oral antidepressants

Background: Performance validity and test-retest reliability of ReVeRe.D, an iPad-administered cognitive test battery in major depressive disorder (MDD) were analyzed.

Methods: Participants aged 18-59 years had DSM-5 diagnosis of MDD with adequate visual and hearing acuity. All had responded to oral antidepressant treatment for a major depressive episode within the most recent 24-months and were stable with no greater than mild depressive symptoms as evidenced by Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale total score <17. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 test sequences (AABB or BBAA; A=ReVeRe.D; B=examiner-administered tests) in a crossover design.

Results: 244 randomized participants (AABB: n=123; BBAA: n=121) had mean age of 38.3 years; 54.9% had a college, baccalaureate, or higher education. At first administration, Pearson correlation coefficients (PCC) for 6/10 pairs of corresponding ReVeRe.D vs examiner-administered tests exceeded the pre-specified acceptance criterion (PCC=0.53) for the primary analysis; 8 test score pairs had PCC exceeding 0.40. At second administration, PCC for 9/10 test scores pairs exceeded PCC=0.53. Together, the series of PCCs supports the concurrent validity for ReVeRe.D. Test-retest reliability for ReVeRe.D test scores was generally moderate to high.

Limitations: The study included stable participants with MDD who had responded to oral antidepressant treatment, with most in at least partial remission. The sample was limited to English-speaking participants, and skewed towards white, college-educated women. Further studies in acutely ill MDD patients who represent a broader demographic, are warranted.

Conclusions: iPad-administered ReVeRe.D is a valid and reliable computerized test battery for assessment of cognitive performance in MDD.