Normative Symbol Digit Modalities Test performance in a community-based sample.
The Symbol Digit Modalities Test is a substitution task that is the inverse of the Digit Symbol Test. The familiar task of filling numbers in boxes, and the availability of an oral administration, make this a popular screening instrument for brain impairment. Normative data were previously reported for a variety of clinical groups, but complete information on non-clinical samples across age, education, gender, and socioeconomic status is limited. The present study examines the performance of a community-dwelling control sample across age, education, gender, and income groupings. In a multivariate model, these four variables did not impact test performance. These results support the utilization of the SDMT as a robust screening test for adult neuropsychological impairment.
Sheridan
Laura K
LK
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA. sherid41@msu.edu
Fitzgerald
Hiram E
HE
Adams
Kenneth M
KM
Nigg
Joel T
JT
Martel
Michelle M
MM
Puttler
Leon I
LI
Wong
Maria M
MM
Zucker
Robert A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology