Assessment and Comparison of basic cognitive functions based on Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) in police shift and administrative personnel

The workforce of any military organization is one of the most important and influential resources in that system. The need for the proper use and suitable selection of people in different work shifts is vital.

This study aims to measure the basic cognitive functions based on Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) in police shift and administrative personnel.

This study’s design is causal-comparative. A sample of 110 individuals from the specialized unit staff of Kerman province in 2019 was selected through a random sampling technique. To evaluate the cognitive functions of these individuals, the ANAM Neurological Psychological Evaluation Software Collection was used. The Independent T-test was performed for data analysis using the SPSS software version 25.

The findings showed no significant difference between shift and administrative groups in the scores of code substitution, mathematical processing,  matching to sample, mathematical processing time, and matching to sample time. However, a significant difference between the two groups was observed in procedural reaction time (P=0.024) and reaction time (P= 0.006).

The results showed that the simple and procedural reaction times are higher in shift workers. There was no significant difference in other cognitive patterns of the research subjects in the sampled police personnel. That could be due to the similar general military training, using administrative staff in police operations, and periodic shifts.