TabCAT
The TabCAT mission is to share widely with a diverse research and clinical community psychometrically robust and user-friendly cognitive tasks that have demonstrated high value for answering important questions about brain health and to enable easy and secure access to data for both research and clinical applications.

The Tablet-based Cognitive Assessment Tool (TabCAT) is a software platform developed at UCSF for the administration of clinical and research tools and for the secure storage of, and access to, the data collected.

TabCAT is compatible with Apple iPads.

“The Brain Health Assessment for Detecting and Diagnosing Neurocognitive Disorders,” presents the published results of the first validation study.

Read the Article

 

Want to use TabCAT in your research or clinical setting?

Please complete this Account Request Form and a member of the TabCAT team will get back to you shortly.

All users must agree to a Use Agreement. There are limitations to clinical use outside of UCSF; specifically, your institution may restrict you from entering personal health information into TabCAT or may require a higher service level for the software than our academic group can consistently provide. Our team will work with you to assist you on how to best fit TabCAT into your clinical workflow.

Licensing Fees Coming Soon: Currently, TabCAT software maintenance, data storage, and user support are almost entirely grant-supported. With the growing user base, it is necessary that we implement licensing fees for moderate to large users to help us cover our costs. These fees will help us keep TabCAT running reliably and help us provide quality service for our growing user base. The fee amount will be determined by the user’s aggregate annual use. For more information about licensing fee estimates, please contact [email protected].

Why use TabCAT?

  • TabCAT includes cognitive tests of executive function (including NIH EXAMINER subtests), memory, language, motor skills and visuospatial skills, as well as symptom questionnaires, all developed by experts in neuropsychology. 
  • TabCAT offers secure cloud-based, HIPAA-compliant data storage, testing battery customization and study management, automated scoring and reporting, and a wealth of resources for interpreting data and guiding care. 
  • TabCAT tests have been validated in diverse populations. 
  • Most tests are available in multiple languages, including Arabic, German, Greek, Spanish, Hebrew, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Cantonese, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional) and more.

Already using TabCAT?

Log in to the TabCAT administrative website to manage your study and data.

Users can self-train with task administration guides available on the administrative website and application in the “Resources” portal. 

The TabCAT Brain Health Assessment

The most widely used battery of tests is the TabCAT Brain Health Assessment (TabCAT-BHA), which was developed for the efficient detection of mild neurocognitive disorders in primary care settings. This assessment evaluates cognitive skills that are commonly affected by neurocognitive disorders including memory, executive/speed, visuospatial and language. An optional 3-minute informant survey is also available to provide information about the level of functional impairment and behavioral changes. The entire TabCAT-BHA can be administered in 10 minutes, and scoring is automated. It also features an automated text-based report that summarizes the performance and supports care decisions. At UCSF, the report has been integrated into the electronic health record (Epic). The TabCAT-BHA is validated for use in research, dementia specialty care centers and primary care.

TabCAT-EXAMINER

TabCAT-EXAMINER (Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research) was developed for the reliable and valid assessment of domains of executive function, which is defined as the ability to engage in goal-oriented behavior. TabCAT-EXAMINER is suitable for clinical investigations and clinical trials and is adaptable to a wide range of ages and disorders.

The original EXAMINER battery included a combination of paper-and-pencil tasks and computerized tasks written in PsychoPy. To keep the battery accessible and modern, several subtests were adapted for TabCAT, including tests of working memory, inhibition, set shifting and fluency. The TabCAT-EXAMINER battery can be administered in 20 minutes.

TabCAT System Design & Security

TabCAT consists of a mobile (iOS) application, administrative web application, API and database. It is implemented using SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings including Heroku, Hasura, Auth0 and Contentful, all running on Amazon Web Services, as well as a third party for development and operations, Vynyl. All components are configured in accordance with various security policies with additions to comply with FERPA, HIPAA and other regulatory requirements. The mobile application is compatible with Apple iPads 9.7in and above, running iPadOS 15 or higher. More information about TabCAT’s system design can be found here.

TabCAT Team

Technology

Project Coordinators

TabCAT Alumni