NeuroCog Trials, Inc. and Advance Visuals, Inc. announced today that the use of video recordings of neurocognitive testing in a large international clinical trial is helping to identify both subtle and gross errors in test administration and scoring. This video recording technology reflects an evolution towards greater vigilance regarding the accurate, unbiased assessment of neuropsychological effects of new drugs.
The use of video review is providing vivid data to enhance centralized data review of the neurocognitive testing that is occurring at sites around the world. These data, in turn, are enabling near immediate remediation of errors, preventing them from reoccurring in future testing sessions. Moreover, videotaping raters may also produce a ‘sentinel’ effect, whereby rater adherence to the assessment protocol is magnified. This is critically important in large multisite trials where the ability to produce consistently high quality data across sites is often strained by geographic, economic, and cultural differences.
Richard Keefe, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “This kind of heightened scrutiny of the administration of neuropsychological tests is helping to improve data accuracy, resulting in a more exacting test of the potential pro-cognitive effects of new drugs in clinical trials.” Charlie Burnham, Chief Executive Officer of Advance Visuals, NeuroCog Trials partner in this effort, added, “New technologies have allowed us to develop compact, web-based systems for recording and remotely reviewing clinical interviews. These systems are secure, easy to use, and can be deployed in every country.”