Using supplemental memory measures to refine interpretation of the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status

Abstract

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) is frequently used as a cognitive screening measure or as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Augmenting the current memory subtests of the RBANS to reflect clinically meaningful distinctions in memory performance may improve its clinical utility, allowing users to generate additional hypotheses and refine clinical interpretations. We pilot four supplementary memory measures to use with the RBANS, adapted from paradigms commonly used by other neuropsychological tests. We also provide several new theoretically derived memory indices to supplement the standard Delayed Memory Index. The new subtests correlated significantly with the standard memory measures, and the new indices demonstrated good reliability and diagnostic accuracy. This study provides preliminary support for supplementing the RBANS to allow for more nuanced interpretations of memory performance.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• memory
• psychometrics
• repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status
• veterans

Disclosure of interest

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose. This work was authored as part of the contributor’s official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S. C 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U. S. Law.