Embodiments of the invention described herein relate generally to a method
for assessing cognitive function and measuring treatment efficacy.
Assessing the efficacy of clinical treatments is important for
development of new interventions, for example drugs, gene, protein or
antibody therapies, as well as for monitoring patient responses to
approved and prescribed therapies. It is feasible to use modified
versions of tests developed for experimental animals, such as primates or
canines, to evaluate cognition in humans. Because the tasks are
non-verbal, individuals with severely limited cognitive abilities can be
objectively evaluated. Inferences can be made about the human
neuropathology because the neural substrates underlying the ability to
perform these tasks in animals have been delineated.