ABSTRACT
Introduction: Learning and memory deficits are prevalent following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), affecting between 54% and 84% of impacted individuals.
Objective: The current study examined learning performance on two tests of verbal memory: the OT-SRT and the CVLT-II.
Methods: Sixty-eight participants with TBI performed the OT-SRT and the CVLT-II on two different days. Additionally, all participants completed cognitive tests assessing processing speed, working memory and executive functions. By definition, all participants with TBI were identified as having impaired learning on the OT-SRT, however only 38 were also identified as impaired on the CVLT-II. The sample was thus divided into two groups, those who failed both tests (Fail-2) and those who failed only the OT-SRT (Fail-1).
Results: The Failed-1 group showed significantly better performance in processing speed, working memory and executive functions compared to the Fail-2 group. On the CVLT-II, the Fail-1 group performed significantly better on the number of words recalled on trials 1 and 5 compared to the Fail-2 group. Both groups performed similarly the OT-SRT.
Discussion: The CVLT-II and the OT-SRT are not equivalent tests and should not be used interchangeably.
Declaration of Interests
The authors report no declarations of interest. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The contents of this article were developed under the NIDRR Grant H133A070037. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed.