A systematic review of research on neuropsychological measures in psychotic disorders from low and middle-income countries: The question of clinical utility

INTRODUCTION: Several studies of neuropsychological measures have been undertaken in patients with psychotic disorders from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is, however, unclear if the measures used in these studies are appropriate for cognitive screening in clinical settings. We undertook a systematic review to determine if measures investigated in research on psychotic disorders in LMICs meet the clinical utility criteria proposed by The Working Group on Screening and Assessment. METHODS: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were employed. We determined if tests had been validated against a comprehensive test battery, the duration and scope of the tests, the personnel administering the tests, and the means of administration. RESULTS: A total of 31 articles were included in the review, of which 11 were from Africa. The studies included 3254 participants with psychosis and 1331 controls. 3 studies reported on the validation of the test against a comprehensive cognitive battery. Assessments took 1 h or less to administer in 6/31 studies. The average number of cognitive domains assessed was four. Nonspecialized staff were used in only 3/31 studies, and most studies used pen and paper tests (17/31). CONCLUSION: Neuropsychological measures used in research on psychotic disorders in LMICs typically do not meet the Working Group on Screening and Assessment clinical utility criteria for cognitive screening. Measures that have been validated in high-income countries but not in LMICs that do meet these criteria, such as the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, therefore deserve further study in LMIC settings.