Ecological validity of the Multiple Errands Test using predictive models of dysexecutive problems in everyday life

Abstract

The“dysexecutive syndrome” is composed of a range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits that are difficult to evaluate using traditional neuropsychological tests. The Multiple Errands Test (MET) was originally developed to systematize the assessment of the more elusive manifestations of the dysexecutive syndrome. The aims of this study were to examining the reliability of the MET and to investigate the predictive ability of its indices to explain a range of “dysexecutive”-related symptoms in everyday life. Thirty patients with acquired brain injury participated in this study. The MET showed an adequate inter-rater reliability and ecological validity. The main performance indices from the MET were able to significantly predict severity of everyday life executive problems, with different indices predicting particular manifestations of different components of executive functions.

Keywords:

• Neuropsychology
• Dysexecutive syndrome
• Ecological validity

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Grant PI09/91008 from the Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI: A.V.G). A.B. was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC C-P).