Validation and normalization of the Russian Version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ( PANSS-Ru ) in Schizophrenia : Preliminary Findings

Introduction: As human longevity steadily grows in more fortunate world regions; cognition enhancement has become a ‘hot topic’ and is currently arousing intense public and scientific debate. While definitions vary, cognition enhancement can be defined as improved ability to perform tasks involving mental ability; either by counteracting impairment, or by producing improvement above existing levels. The principal and arguably only direct and objective measure of cognitive ability involves the use of tasks that demand mental efficiency. This paper concerns a computerised test system designed by the author which had its roots in a PhD project at Reading University (UK) which began in 1972 to determine whether the brain reticular cholinergic systems were involved in the control of human attention. It rapidly became evident that to detect subtle cognitive improvements in healthy students, automated procedures that captured cognitive reaction times as well as accuracy were essential. The early laboratory computers of the 1970s offered the first solutions, while portable laboratory microcomputers allowed cognitive testing to migrate from the laboratory to diverse clinical settings and even patients home in the early 1980s.