title: The East Boston Memory Test: a clinical screening measure for memory impairment in the elderly.
abstract: Comparisons between the East Boston Memory Test (EBMT), a brief verbal memory measure used in epidemiological studies with dementia, selected Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) subtests, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were investigated with 23 geriatric patients diagnosed with dementia. Significant correlations between the EBMT and WMS-R verbal subtests were predicted and occurred (r = .42 to .64). A five minute EBMT recall correlated most highly with the WMS-R Logical Memory subtests. The sensitivity of the EBMT in detecting cognitive impairment was investigated and compared with the sensitivity of the MMSE. The EBMT correctly classified 78% of subjects, compared to a 70% correct classification rate with the MMSE. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research directions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, MO 63103, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gfeller
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014888:Wechsler Scales