title: Embedded indices of effort in the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS) in a geriatric sample.
abstract: The clinical utility of embedded indices of effort in the RBANS was examined in a geriatric sample. Patients were classified as providing suspect effort (n = 45) or probable good effort (n = 258) using the TOMM and clinical consensus. Following the methodology of Silverberg and colleagues (2007), selected individual subtests and a summary Effort Index were evaluated. Setting specificity at approximately 85% yielded cut-offs of <15 on List Recognition, <8 on Digit Span, and >3 on the Effort Index. The modest sensitivity (51.1-64.4%) suggests that the indices should be used in conjunction with additional effort measures. In addition, the RBANS Picture Naming subtest was examined and showed modest sensitivity to detect suboptimal effort, but did not show notable incremental validity for detecting suboptimal effort beyond the Effort Index.
authors.affiliation: Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29407, USA. barker.marie@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marie D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Michael David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bachman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity