CogScreen-Aeromedical Edition (CogScreen-AE) is a computer-administered and scored cognitive-screening instrument designed to rapidly assess deficits or changes in attention, immediate- and short-term memory, visual perceptual functions, sequencing functions, logical problem solving, calculation skills, reaction time, simultaneous information processing abilities, and executive functions.

CogScreen-AE was initially designed to meet the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) need for an instrument that could detect subtle changes in cognitive functioning: "changes which left unnoticed may result in poor pilot judgment or slow reaction time in critical operational situations" (Engelberg, Gibbons, & Doege, 1986, p. lS89).

CogScreen-AE meets the FAA's requirement for a sensitive and specific neurocognitive test battery for use in the medical recertification evaluation of pilots with known or suspected neurological and/or psychiatric conditions CogScreen-AE is not a test of aviation knowledge or flying skills, but rather a measure of the underlying perceptual cognitive, and information processing abilities associated with flying (Imhoff & Levine, 1986).

CogScreen-AE consists of a series of computerized cognitive tasks, each self-contained and presented with instructions and a practice segment. The subtests are listed and described below.

COGSCREEN-AE SUBTEST DESCRIPTION

Backward Digit Span (BDS)

Recall of a sequence of visually presented digits in reverse order.

Math

Traditional math word problems with multiple choice answer format.

Visual Sequence Comparison (VSC)

Comparison of two simultaneously presented series of letters and numbers.

Symbol Digit Coding (SDC)

Substitution of digits for symbols using a key, followed by immediate and delayed recall of symbol-digit pairs.

Matching to Sample (MTS)

Immediate recognition for a checkerboard pattern.

Manikin (MAN)

Mental rotation task requiring respondent to identify the hand in which a rotated human figure is holding a flag.

Divided Attention (DAT)

Task employs a visual monitoring task, which is presented alone and in combination with the Visual Sequence Comparison task.

Auditory Sequence Comparison (ASC)

Comparison of two series of tone patterns.

Pathfinder (PF)

Visual sequencing and scanning task that requires respondents to sequence numbers, letters, and an alternating set of numbers and letters.

Shifting Attention (SAT)

Rule-acquisition and rule-application test requiring mental flexibility and conceptual reasoning.

Dual Task (DTT)

Consists of two tasks, each of which is performed alone and then together as a simultaneous test. One task is a visual-motor tracking test. The second task is a continuous memory task involving serial digit recall.