Range Achievement Test-3 (WRAT-3). Serum anti-NR2antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a pentapeptide from the human NMDA receptor.Results. Cognitive dysfunction was found in 28 of 60 patients (mild in 8, moderate in 20) before adjustment for WRAT-3 and in 35 of 60 patients (mild in 15, moderate in 11, and severe in 9) after adjustment for WRAT-3. The changes were most pronounced in the memory and visuospatial domains. There was no significant association between anti-NR2 antibody levels and cognition. On 1 H-MRSI, patients with moderate or severe cognitive dysfunction had significantly higher choline:creatine ratios in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the white matter, compared with patients with mild or absent cognitive dysfunction. Anti-NR2 antibodies were significantly correlated with BDI scores; patients with BDI-II scores of >14 had higher serum levels of anti-NR2 antibodies (P ‫؍‬ 0.005, 95% confidence interval 0.83, 4.31), and there was a trend toward higher anti-NR2 antibody levels among patients who fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for major depression.Conclusion. Serum anti-NR2 antibodies are associated with depressive mood but not with cognitive dysfunction in SLE at a given time point. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to address the possible association between anti-NR2 antibodies and depression in SLE.Cognitive dysfunction and depression are common manifestations of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (1,2), with the reported prevalence of cognitive dysfunction ranging from 20% to 80% in

The American Medical Association Current Procedural Panel developed a new billing code making behavioral health screening a reimbursable healthcare service. The use of computerized testing as a means for cognitive screening and brief cognitive testing is increasing at a rapid rate. The purpose of this education paper is to provide information to clinicians, healthcare administrators, and policy developers about the purpose, strengths, and limitations of cognitive screening tests versus comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations. Screening tests are generally brief and narrow in scope, they can be administered during a routine clinical visit, and they can be helpful for identifying individuals in need of more comprehensive assessment. Some screening tests can also be helpful for monitoring treatment outcomes. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments are multidimensional in nature and used for purposes such as identifying primary and secondary diagnoses, determining the nature  and severity of a person's cognitive difficulties, determining functional limitations, and planning treatment and rehabilitation. Cognitive screening tests are expected to play an increasingly important role in identifying individuals with cognitive impairment and in determining which individuals should be referred for further neuropsychological assessment. However, limitations of existing cognitive screening tests are present and cognitive screening tests should not be used as a replacement for comprehensive neuropsychological testing.

Objective. To evaluate the concurrent validity and diagnostic accuracy of the pediatric Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (Ped-ANAM) when used in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Formal neuropsychological testing and the Ped-ANAM were performed on 27 children with SLE who had not been previously diagnosed with neuropsychiatric SLE. Performance when completing the 10 Ped-ANAM tests was based on accuracy (AC), mean time to correct response, coefficient of variation of the time required for a correct response (CVc), and throughput. Formal neuropsychological testing was used as a criterion standard for diagnosing neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD; yes/no). Results. NCD was common and present in 16 (59%) of 27 participants. Ped-ANAM performance parameters were often moderately correlated with the Z scores on formal neuropsychological testing. The NCD group differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the normal cognition group in 3 Ped-ANAM tests: CVc with mathematical processing (MTH-CVc), AC with continuous performance test (CPT-AC), and CVc with spatial processing (SPD-CVc). Areas under the receiver operating curves (AUCs) ranged between 0.75 and 0.84 when each of these parameters (CPT-AC, MTH-CVc, SPD-CVc) was used to identify NCD independently. The AUC was improved to 0.96 for the combined assessment. Conclusion. The Ped-ANAM has concurrent validity when used in children with SLE. Initial validation suggests that the Ped-ANAM could be a useful screening tool for NCD in children with SLE.

Objective. Cognitive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric disturbance are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).This study addressed the ability of the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM), a computerized cognitive testing battery consisting of cognitive subtests, a sleepiness rating scale, and a mood scale, to predict neuropsychological status in patients with SLE. Methods. Sixty individuals with SLE and no overt neuropsychiatric symptoms were administered ANAM to determine its validity as a screening measure of cognitive dysfunction and emotional distress in SLE. Results. Performance on ANAM was compared with results of a consecutively administered, 2-hour battery of traditional neuropsychological tests and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Individual ANAM cognitive test scores were significantly correlated with most neuropsychological tests, particularly those measuring psychomotor processing speed and executive functioning. Using logistic regression, ANAM cognitive subtests successfully predicted individuals with SLE who had probable versus no impairment after controlling for premorbid levels of cognitive ability. Sensitivity of group classification was 76.2% and specificity was 82.8%, with 80% correct classification overall. ANAM's ability to predict neuropsychological functioning remained even after controlling for subjective reports of depressed mood and current sleepiness. Further, the ANAM mood scale was significantly correlated with the BDI-II (r ‫؍‬ 0.67, P < 0.001), indicating its potential future use as a screening tool for emotional distress. Conclusion. ANAM shows promise as a time-and cost-efficient tool for screening and monitoring cognitive and emotional functioning in SLE, and can indicate when a more thorough neuropsychological investigation is warranted.

In this article we review studies in which Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) measures were used to screen for impairment in various clinical populations. These clinical groups include patients with multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, acquired brain injury, and migraine headache. Data are also presented from a group of outpatient referrals unselected with respect to clinical condition. Findings support the use of ANAM as a screening procedure for identifying the impaired patient.