Most current neuropsychological batteries are pathology-specific and are unsuitable for research into multiple pathologies, longitudinal follow-up of pre-clinical changes or large general population cohort studies. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, a neuropsychological examination, COGNITO was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists by reference to cognitive models of information processing. COGNITO covers attentional, linguistic, amnesic and visuospatial processes, with use of a tactile screen permitting recording not only of correct responses and error type, but also response latencies and qualitative aspects of performance such as perseveration, hemi-spatial field neglect and proactive intrusion. Designed for the detection of both normal and pathological cognitive changes from adolescence onwards, it was primarily developed for the study of brain ageing. A pilot study of retest reliability in adults showed acceptable levels for all sub-tests except the Stroop test. Immediate Recall and Name-Face Association both showed significant learning effects suggesting the need for alternative sub-test forms if very short retest intervals are required.