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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Dec 16.
Published before final editing as: Public Health Nutr. 2018 Dec 3:1–9. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003282

Table 1.

description of tests in the CANTAB assessment, presented in the order of administration used in this study

Test Cognitive domain Description
  • 1. Motor screening test (MOT)

Working memory / planning Largely used to familiarise the child with the computer touch screen, the child must touch a series of crosses (x) when they appear on the screen.
  • 2. Paired Associates Learning (PAL)

Visual Memory Boxes are displayed on the screen with different shapes inside them. Each shape is displayed randomly for a number of seconds and then removed. The child needs to remember which shape is in each box. More boxes are added to increase test complexity as the child progresses.
  • 3. Pattern Recognition Memory (PRM)

Visual Memory Random characters are displayed on the screen one after the other. At the end of the sequence each of the characters is then displayed besides another character that was not displayed. The child needs to remember which was displayed.
  • 4. Big/Little Circle (BLC)

Visual attention Two circles are displayed on the screen, one big and the other little. The child needs to touch on one of the circles, this is followed by a confirmation of whether it is correct or not. When the “rule” changes and the other circle is correct. The child must learn and then adapt.
  • 5. Intra/ Extradimensional Set Shift (IED)

Visual attention A continuation of BLC: Two objects are displayed on the screen inside boxes. At first, the participant has to guess which object is correct. If they get it correct they have to press that object continuously. When the “rule” changes, they will get a message that the object is incorrect and must adapt.