In Focus

Introduction of the NIH Toolbox Instrument

Our institution is preparing a pioneering pilot project to implement NIH Toolbox cognitive tests, developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) on children and youth up to the age of 18. It represents a multidimensional digital toolset, consisting of subtests designed for researchers and clinicians to assess cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional functions in children from the age of 3 and adults of all ages. The use of digital technologies for the assessment of cognitive functions has numerous advantages compared to the traditional methods applied in psychological testing. These include the uniformity of task administration and assessment as well as engaging content. When monitoring children with Fragile X syndrome, and other patients with neurodevelopmental disorders that involve intellectual disabilities, this tool provides a more modern and friendly testing environment for children, with whom maintaining a good level of cooperation is often difficult to achieve.