# A pilot study of remote cognitive assessment in children using the NIH toolbox participant/examiner app

## TL;DR

This pilot study shows that cognitive assessments for children can be effectively done remotely using a new app, similar to in-person testing.

## Contribution

The study introduces a new remote version of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery for children, validated for equivalency with in-person assessments.

## Key findings

- Remote and in-person assessments showed considerable consistency in cognitive test scores.
- Remote assessments took longer and showed potential practice effects on some measures.
- The NIHTB-P/E App is a feasible alternative for administering cognitive assessments to children.

## Abstract

The demand for remote assessment tools has increased, yet there is a lack of standardized adaptations for remote administration. This pilot study investigates the equivalency of in-person and remote cognitive assessments using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) among children aged 7 to 17 years. Forty-seven children (51.1% female; Mage = 12.26, SDage= 3.23) were assessed in two formats: in-person at a study site and remotely from home, with the order of assessments counterbalanced. The NIHTB-CB was used for in-person evaluations, while a newly developed version, the NIH Toolbox Participant/Examiner (NIHTB-P/E) App, was used for remote assessments through built-in teleconferencing features. The results showed considerable consistency between in-person and remote scores across all NIHTB-CB tests. Certain differences were noted, including longer test durations for remote assessments and potential practice effects on some measures. Overall, preliminary findings from this pilot study support thefeasibility of administering the NIHTB-CB remotely using the NIHTB-P/E App, providing a viable option to traditional in-person cognitive assessments in pediatric populations.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-20256-7.