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The present study examined the diagnostic accuracy of the Screening Test for the Luria‐Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (ST‐LNNB). Specifically, the ability of the ST‐LNNB to detect cognitive impairment versus nonimpairment among psychiatrically involved substance abusers was assessed. In light of the fact that cognitive impairment is relatively common within this population and given the paucity of research on the ST‐LNNB, such data would be instrumental in clarifying the conditions under which the ST‐LNNB validly assesses cognitive impairment. Subjects consisted of 183 male and 89 female substance abusing inpatients with psychiatric comorbidity residing in a private psychiatric hospital. Level of cognitive functioning was assessed by the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS), with Abstraction Quotients less than or equal to 90 denoting cognitive impairment. Results indicated that under conditions of low to moderate diagnostic prevalence (less than about .45), the ST‐LNNB evidenced low positive predictive power (PPP) when the recommended cutoff score of 8 was utilized. In order for the ST‐LNNB to demonstrate acceptable levels of PPP (i.e., .85 and .90), prevalences of impairment of .467 and .636 were necessary. Our data also suggested that the maximum PPP value for the ST‐LNNB may be limited. These results should be of interest to mental health professionals who currently use the ST‐LNNB and to clinicians who are considering incorporating brief cognitive screening instruments, such as the ST‐LNNB, into their assessment batteries.
Notes
Department of Psychology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina.
School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York.
To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.