Reliability and normative standards of CANTAB tests for cognitive assessment in Russian children and adolescents

The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a widely used tool for cognitive assessment, yet its psychometric properties and normative standards for schoolchildren in non-English speaking countries, including Russia, remain understudied. This study established test-retest reliability and age-stratified normative data for CANTAB in a Russian schoolchildren sample (N = 689, aged 7–17). Reliability analyses on a subsample (n = 101) showed good-to-excellent reliability for Spatial Working Memory (SWM errors, ICC = 0.72) and Reaction Time (RTI) accuracy, but poorer reliability for Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) planning measures. Analyses revealed minimal gender effects but robust age-related improvements across most cognitive domains, particularly in visuospatial working memory (SWM), recognition memory (SRM), and processing speed (RTI), reflecting the maturation of executive functions. These age-related differences align with international findings. This work provides the first comprehensive reliability and normative data for CANTAB in Russian schoolchildren. It validates the use of specific, reliable parameters (e.g. SWM errors) for clinical and research applications and supplies essential age-stratified norms for accurate cognitive assessment in this population.