TABLE 1.
Structure of the BANFE-2 neuropsychological battery.
| Associated Area | Domain | Test | Description | Qualification criteriaa | Time |
| Orbitomedial Cortex | Inhibitory control | Stroop Form A | The subject is asked to read what is written, except when the word is underlined, in which case they are asked to name the color in which it is printed and not what is written. | Stroop errors: when the underlined word is said instead of the color | 5 min |
| Time: time in seconds used to complete the test. | |||||
| Correct answer: words read correctly. The maximum possible score is 84 | |||||
| Stroop Form B | The evaluator points to the columns of words printed in color and asks the subject to read what is written, but when the evaluator says the word “color,” the subject must name the color in which the words are printed not what is written. | Stroop errors: when the color in which the word is written is not mentioned in a column where it was instructed to mention the color. | 5 min | ||
| Time: time in seconds used to complete the test. | |||||
| Correct answer: words read correctly. The maximum possible score is 84 | |||||
| Follow rules | Maze test | It is made up of five labyrinths that increase their level of difficulty. The subject is asked to solve the mazes in the shortest time possible, without touching the walls or going through them, and to try not to pick up the pencil once he has started. The number of times he touches the walls passes through them, and enters a dead end (planning error) is recorded. Likewise, the execution time is recorded. | Go through: number of times it goes through walls. It is considered that a wall has been crossed when the pencil line crosses any wall of the maze. | 4 min | |
| Card Sorting | It consists of a base of four cards with four different geometric figures (circle, cross, star, and triangle), which have two properties: number and color. The subject is provided with a group of 64 cards with these same characteristics, which he has to accommodate under one of the four base cards presented on a sheet using a criterion that the subject has to generate (color, shape, or number). Any card has the same possibility of relating to the three criteria since no perceptual pattern guides decision-making. | Maintenance errors: When the correct sequence is not maintained, and it is decided to change the classification criteria after at least three consecutive hits. | 10 min | ||
| Risk-Taking processing | Card game | This test consists of choosing each card according to its criteria, taking into account the risks and benefits of the choice to achieve the greatest number of points possible. The stimuli of the cards are numbers that go from 1 to 5 and represent points. Cards 1, 2, and 3 have minor penalties and appear less frequently. The cards with more points (4 and 5) have more expensive and more frequent punishments. The points obtained are recorded, as well as the percentage of risk, which results from averaging the selections of cards 4 and 5. | Percentage of risk cards: it is obtained from the total number of cards that the person takes and the number of risk cards (4-point cards plus 5-point cards) taken. Total score: it is obtained by subtracting penalty points from earned points. The scores obtained may contain negative values (for example, −5), indicating that you have chosen a significant number of risk cards. |
5 min | |
| Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (dlPFC) | Verbal fluency | Verbal fluency | The test considers the ability to generate verbs in a limited time. | Hits: total number of correctly mentioned verbs, not including intrusions or perseverations. | 1 min |
| Perseverations: mentioning the same verb two or more times | |||||
| Mental flexibility | Card Sorting | It consists of a base of four cards with four different geometric figures (circle, cross, star, and triangle), which have two properties: number and color. The subject is provided with a group of 64 cards with these same characteristics, which he has to accommodate under one of the four base cards presented on a sheet using a criterion that the subject has to generate (color, shape, or number). Any card has the same possibility of relating to the three criteria since no perceptual pattern guides decision-making. | Hits: correspondence between the classification principle established by the test and the subject’s classification criteria. Perseverations: occur when the card placement immediately after an error corresponds to the same wrong criteria. Deferred perseverations: occur when the same wrong criterion chosen in any of the four previous attempts is used without considering the immediately preceding classification principle. Time: time in seconds used to complete the test. |
10 min | |
| Visuospatial planning | Maze test | It is made up of five labyrinths that increase their level of difficulty. The subject is asked to solve the mazes in the shortest time possible, without touching the walls or going through them, and to try not to pick up the pencil once he has started. The number of times he touches the walls passes through them, and enters a dead end (planning error) is recorded. Likewise, the execution time is recorded. It also allows systematically assessing the ability to anticipate (plan) visuospatial behavior. | Dead-end planning: number of times the evaluated person enters a dead-end road. The choice of the wrong path does not need to lead to hitting a wall; the error is counted when the erroneous route takes more than half of the way. Time: the time is recorded since the indication to start solving the maze is given. |
4 min | |
| Sequential planning | Tower of Hanoi 3 and 4 disks | It is made up of a wooden base with three stakes and three or four chips of different sizes. The task has three rules: - Only one of the checkers can be moved at a time. - A smaller checker cannot be under a larger checker. - Whenever a checker is taken, it must be deposited again before taking another. The subject has to move a pyramid-shaped configuration from one end of the base to the other by moving the tiles along with the pegs. |
Movements: number of movements made until each task’s final goal. The minimum number of moves to correctly complete the three-disk problem is seven; for the task with four disks, it is 14 movements. Time: Time in seconds that it takes to complete the task. Both ratings are used separately for each tower. |
4 min | |
| Reverse sequence | Consecutive subtraction A and B | In both cases, it is requested that from an indicated number (40 or 100), an amount be subtracted consecutively (three in three or seven in seven, respectively) until reaching the minimum number (two or one). Task A (40–3) applies from 8 years of age. Task B (100–7) only applies from 10 years of age. | Time: time in seconds elapsed from the time “begin” is said until the conclusion of the consecutive subtractions. Hits: the number of correct individual subtractions made by the person is considered. The maximum possible number of correct answers is 14 for the subtraction of 100–7 (task B) and 13 correct for the subtraction of 40–3 (task A). It is not recorded in the protocol if the person mentions 100 or 40 when starting to subtract. |
5 min per task | |
| Consecutive sum | This task consists of developing a consecutive sum exceeding the tens limit. The following instruction is given: “we are going to do a sum. Starting from one, you have to add five by five; I will tell you when to stop.” The person is instructed to stop when signaled. It is stated that he cannot use his fingers. | Time: time in seconds from when the person is told to start until the end of the test. Hits: the number of correct individual sums is taken into account. The maximum possible number of hits is 20. It is not recorded in the protocol if the person mentions the one when starting to add |
5 min | ||
| Productivity | Semantic classification | Assesses the ability to analyze and group a series of animal figures into semantic categories in the largest possible number of categories. The subject is presented with a sheet with 30 animal figures and is asked to generate as many classifications as possible within 5 min. | Total Categories: total average number of items included in all categories. Total average of animals: the total of animals classified in some category is scored. Total score: one point is awarded if the category is Concrete (C), two are given if the category is Functional (F), and three if the category is Abstract (A). Points are awarded for each category generated, and scores are noted in the box on the left. The total score is the sum of the points given to each generated category. The maximum score is 36. |
5 min | |
| Self-directed visual working memory | Self-directed pointing | The self-directed working memory test (WM) is made up of a sheet with figures of objects and animals. The goal is to point your finger at all the figures without omitting or repeating any. The subject has to develop an action strategy and, at the same time, maintain in his WM the figures that he has already pointed out so as not to repeat or omit any (persevere or omit in the indications). | Perseverations: figures indicated more than once. The figure is marked with the corresponding number and will be counted as a perseveration. Time: time in seconds used to finish pointing out the figures on the sheet. Hits: the total number of hits will be the number of figures indicated in a non-contiguous manner that has not been persevered. If the person points to two contiguous figures at first, the second will not be considered correct. From 12 indicated figures, whether they are correct or not, a marked figure that is contiguous to the previous figure can be counted as a hit. |
5 min | |
| Verbal working memory-ordering | Alphabetical ordering of words | The test consists of three disyllabic word lists, the first containing words that begin with a vowel, the second with a consonant, and the last, with vowels and consonants. The task is to reproduce each list in alphabetical order. Assesses the ability to hold information in the WM and manipulate it mentally. | The following aspects are rated on each list: - Rehearsal number in which the list is played correctly. - Perseverations: perseverations are words that the person repeats more than once in an essay. - Intrusions: intrusions are words that the person mentions but are not on the list. - Order errors: Reproduce words whose initial vowel or consonant does not correspond to the alphabet sequence. These errors are scored on words provided and not omitted. A score is obtained for each list. |
There is no time limit | |
| Visuospatial-sequential working memory | Visuospatial working memory | The task consists of four lists that increase the number of figures from four to seven elements. The order of the figures in each list is noted in the protocol. Two trials are provided for each word list. If the correct sequence is signaled on the first trial, it goes directly to the next level. The second trial applies only in case of failure to point to the figures on the first trial. The test is over if the person fails to signal the correct sequence on both trials. |
Maximum sequence: corresponds to the maximum level indicated. The test is suspended due to two consecutive tests mismarked; the maximum sequence will correspond to the maximum level correctly marked. The maximum possible level is four. Perseverations: when a figure is pointed to more than once in a trial, either a correct figure or a substitution. Order errors: when a figure is indicated in the order that does not correspond to it according to the original sequence. |
There is no time limit | |
| Anterior Prefrontal Cortex (aPFC) | Metamemory | Metamemory | This test consists of memorizing a list of nine bisyllabic words during five trials and comparing it with the predicted performance of the evaluated person. The following instruction is given: “in the next task, I am going to read you a list of nine words; how many words do you think you can learn?” The number of words said by the person is recorded on the prediction line. When the person finishes saying the words that he managed to learn, the total number of words that he managed to memorize is mentioned to him, and he is told: “Now, I am going to read you the same words in the same order, how many words do you think you can learn?”. Continue in this way until you have completed all five trials, even if you have learned all the words before reaching the fifth trial. | Error: they are obtained by subtracting the predicted number of words and the number of words said in each trial. Two types of errors are scored separately: - Positive errors result from overestimating the number of words predicted by the subject. - Negative errors result from the underestimation of learning |
There is no time limit |
| Comprehension of figurative meaning | Selection of sayings | This test is made up of five sayings, for which three possible response options are presented. | Time: time in seconds to finish the test. Hits: the maximum possible score is five points. Every correct answer is worth one point. |
5 min | |
| Abstract attitude | Semantic classification | Assesses the ability to analyze and group a series of animal figures into semantic categories in the largest possible number of categories. The subject is presented with a sheet with 30 animal figures and is asked to generate as many classifications as possible within 5 min. | The number of abstract categories: they define semantic-abstract properties of animals (mammals, domestic, marine, etc.). | 5 min |
aFor some areas and domains, the same test is used, but different aspects of the qualification are considered.