Comparison of EXIT-25 and the Frontal Assessment Battery for evaluation of executive dysfunction in patients attending a memory clinic.
OBJECTIVE
The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the EXIT-25 have emerged as 2 widely used screening instruments for executive dysfunction, but their screening properties have not been evaluated in a head-to-head comparison.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study of 92 individuals presenting for cognitive assessment at a community hospital.


RESULTS
The EXIT-25 took longer than the FAB to complete (mean difference = 9.27 min, 95% CI: 9.86-8.68). EXIT-25 and FAB scores showed significant correlation (Spearman's r = -0.79, p < 0.001) with one another, and each showed acceptable convergent validity and divergent validity.


CONCLUSIONS
The 2 tests provide similar information about the presence of executive dysfunction. The FAB takes less time to complete, and appears to be less frustrating for patients, making it more feasible as a screening test for executive dysfunction in a memory clinic setting.
Dalhousie University, N.S., Canada. paige.moorhouse@cdha.nshealth.ca
Paige
P
Moorhouse
Mary
M
Gorman
Kenneth
K
Rockwood
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018401:Sample Size