Interpretation of the RBANS in Inpatient Psychiatry: Clinical Normative Data and Prevalence of Low Scores for Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Randolph, 1998) is a screening battery designed to measure attention and processing speed, expressive language, visual-spatial and constructional abilities, and immediate and delayed memory. Clinical normative data for a large sample of inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders is available (Wilk, Gold, Humber, Dickerson, Fenton, & Buchanan, 2004). The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend the clinical normative data for the RBANS for use in inpatient psychiatry. Participants were 174 inpatients from a provincial psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Median performance on the RBANS was 1–2 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean. Patients with more than 12 years of education performed significantly better on every index score than patients with 12 or fewer years of education. Men performed better than women on the Visuospatial/Constructional Index (Cohen's d = .47). When examining all five Index scores simultaneously, it was common for inpatients to obtain three or more frankly impaired scores (i.e., less than the 2nd percentile). Overall, the performance of this inpatient sample was very similar to the clinical normative data presented by Wilk et al. (2004). Detailed normative tables by diagnosis, education, and gender are provided.

Key words:

• cognition
• neuropsychological screening
• normative data
• RBANS
• schizophrenia

Portions of these data were presented at the annual conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, October, 2005, Tampa, Florida, USA and at the annual conference of the Coalition of Clinical Practitioners in Neuropsychology, January 2007, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. The authors thank Jennifer Bernardo for her assistance with manuscript preparation.

Notes

¹This group includes those with schizophrenia (all subtypes) and schizoaffective disorder. SD = Standard deviation.

Note. This is clinical normative data. To use this data, first look up the patients normative scores in the manual. Second, determine the patient's classification range in comparison to healthy adults (e.g., low average, average, or high average). Third, use this table to determine the patient's classification range in comparison to psychiatric inpatients. Examples: (1) a Delayed Memory Index score of 50 is extremely low for healthy adults, but low average for patients with schizophrenia; (2) an Attention Index of 75 is unusually low for healthy adults, but average for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders; and (3) an Immediate Memory Index of 100 is average for healthy adults, but superior for male inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. HS = High school.

¹This group includes those with schizophrenia (all subtypes) and schizoaffective disorder. SD = Standard deviation.

Note. Values represent cumulative percentage of people.

¹This group includes those with schizophrenia (all subtypes) and schizoaffective disorder.

Note: This paper was accepted under the editorship of Cecil R. Reynolds.