A novel abbreviated version of the Luria neuropsychological diagnosis battery: reliability and convergent validity in Spanish older adults

ABSTRACT

Objective

To estimate the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the new Spanish abbreviated version of the Luria Neuropsychological Diagnosis (DNA-2) battery for older adults.

Method

A total of thirty cognitively healthy volunteers were examined in this study. The participants completed a comprehensive standardized assessment, encompassing cognitive and functional performance. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to examine test-retest and inter-rater reliability. One month was allowed between administrations. Furthermore, correlations between Luria DNA-2 (total and domain subscores) and other classical cognitive measures were explored.

Results

The test-retest reliability on the overall Luria DNA-2 score was high (ICC= .834, 95% CI [.680, .917], p < .001). Furthermore, the inter-rater reliability for the total score demonstrated an excellent concordance between administrators (ICC= .990, 95% CI [.979, .995], p < .001). Positive and significant correlations were observed between Luria DNA-2 (both total and domain subscores) and the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III; ρ = .857, p < .001).

Conclusions

This study supports the adequate reliability of the Luria DNA-2, as an abbreviated neuropsychological battery, for assessing cognitive performance in Spaniards aged 55 years and older. Future studies should continue to explore the psychometric properties of the Luria DNA-2, particularly those related to its diagnostic validity for early detection of cognitive impairment.

KEYWORDS:

• Neuropsychology
• Luria’s model
• cognitive assessment
• older adults
• psychometrics

Disclosure statement

This research was conducted in the absence of any potential conflict of interest. We declare that the Luria DNA-2 battery is an original instrument based on the Luria’s Neuropsychological Diagnostic Battery for Adults (Manga & Ramos, 2000), and it was developed with the agreement of Hogrefe TEA Ediciones.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2024.2368586

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, IC.

Additional information

Funding

Patricia Alzola is funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain through the Grants for University Teacher Training FPU 2022 [Ref. FPU22/02012]. Jaime Sazatornil was supported by a Collaboration Grant at the University of Salamanca by the Spanish Ministry of Education (Resolution of June 24, 2020). Bernardino Fernández-Calvo is supported by a senior distinguished researcher grant [Beatriz Galindo Programme; ref. BEAGAL18/00006] from the Spanish Ministry of Science and co-financed by the University of Cordoba (Spain). Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the project CP23/00039 (Miguel Servet contract), co-financed by the European Union (FSE+). Israel Contador is supported by the Salvador Madariaga Research Program [ref. PRX22/00313] from the Spanish Ministry of Universities (Spain).