title: The California Verbal Learning Test--second edition: test-retest reliability, practice effects, and reliable change indices for the standard and alternate forms.
abstract: The California Verbal Learning Test - second edition (CVLT-II) is one of the most widely used neuropsychological tests in North America. The present study evaluated the 1-month test-retest reliability and practice effects associated with the standard and alternate forms of the CVLT-II in a sample of 195 healthy adults. Eighty participants underwent repeat assessment using the standard form of the CVLT-II on both occasions, whereas the remaining 115 individuals received the standard form at baseline and the alternate form at follow-up. Consistent with prior research, results revealed generally large test-retest correlation coefficients for the primary CVLT-II measures in both the standard/standard (range=0.80-0.84) and standard/alternate (range=0.61-0.73) cohorts. Despite exhibiting slightly lower test-retest reliability coefficients, participants in the alternate form group displayed notably smaller practice effects (Cohen's d range=-0.01 to 0.18) on the primary indices relative to individuals who received the standard form on both occasions (Cohen's d range=0.27-0.61). Reliable change indices were also generated and applied to primary CVLT-II variables to determine the base rates of significant improvements (range=2-10%), declines (range=0-7%), and stability (range=85-97%) in performance over time. Overall, findings from this study support the test-retest reliability of the standard and alternate forms of the CVLT-II in healthy adults and may enhance the usefulness of this test in longitudinal neuropsychological evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry (0847), University of California at San Diego, 150 W. Washington Street, 2nd Floor, San Diego, CA 92103-2005, USA. spwoods@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Steven Paul
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Dean C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Delis
authors.forename: J Cobb
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Joel H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Holdnack
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*