Table 1.
Cognitive Domain, Neuropsychological Tests, and Tests Descriptions
| Cognitive domain | Neuropsychological testsa | Brief description |
|---|---|---|
| Global cognitive function | Mini-mental State Examinationb | Participants complete a 30-point screening questionnaire to evaluate general mental status. Higher scores indicate better mental status. |
| Premorbid intellect | Wechsler Test of Adult Readingc | Participants asked to pronounce a list of phonologically irregular words aloud. Measure of analysis was a standard score with mean = 100 and standard deviation = 15. |
| Language | Boston Naming Testd | Participants name line drawings of common objects. Possible raw scores range from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating better ability. |
| Working memory | Digit Spane | Participants repeat series of numbers forward and backward. The raw forward and backward spans were analyzed separately (possible forward score 0 to 16; possible backward score 0 to 14) and the total score was transformed to a scaled score (mean = 10 and standard deviation = 3) as derived from the WAIS-3. |
| Verbal memory | Hopkins Verbal Learning Testf | Participants asked to learn orally presented 12-word list over three rehearsal trials, with recall after each list presentation. After a 20-minute delay, they are asked to recall as many of the 12 words as they can. The variables analyzed were total learning over the three trials (possible score 0 to 36 for summed recall of trials 1 through 3) and delayed recall (possible score 0 to 12). Higher scores indicate better performance. |
| Visuospatial ability | Figure Copy and Figure Memory recallg |
Participants are shown five figures that increase in complexity (circle, diamond, intersection, rectangle, and cube) and are asked to draw a copy of each figure. After a 20-minute delay, they are asked to recall and draw the figures again. The variables analyzed were total (possible scores range from 0 to 11) and recall (possible scores range from 0 to 14) with higher scores indicating better performance. |
| Psychomotor speed | Digit Symbole | Participants required to match a series of numbers with symbols using a key that shows the unique pairing of the numbers with the symbols. The measure of analysis was the scaled score derived from the WAIS-3 standardization sample (mean = 10; standard deviation = 3). |
| Trail Making Test, Part Ah | Participants use a pencil to draw a line that connects numbered circles arrayed on a page as fast as possible. The measure of analysis was the number of seconds to complete the task, with higher scores (longer time) indicating slower psychomotor speed. |
|
| Executive function | Trail Making Test, Part Bh | Participants use a pencil to connect numbered and lettered circles sequentially as fast as possible, but in alternate alpha-numeric order (i.e., number-letter-number-letter). The measure of analysis is the number of seconds to complete the task, with higher scores (longer time) indicating poorer shifting between numbers and letters. |
| Controlled Oral Word Associationi | Participants given a letter of the alphabet and asked to name as many words as possible that begin with that letter. The test measures the speed with which participants can search and retrieve a word from their mental lexicon using a phonemic stem. The measure of analysis was the number of words produced in 90 seconds for each of the letters C, F, and L, with higher scores indicating better performance. |
a
Although the tests were used to sample a specific domain, each test actually samples multiple domains.
c
The Psychological Corporation. WechslerR Test of Adult Reading Manual. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation; 2001.