title: Reading Ability as an Estimator of Premorbid Intelligence: Does It Remain Stable Among Ethnically Diverse HIV+ Adults?
abstract: The Wide Range Achievement Test, 3rd edition, Reading Recognition subtest (WRAT-3 RR) is an established measure of premorbid ability. Furthermore, its long-term reliability is not well documented, particularly in diverse populations with CNS-relevant disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined test-retest reliability of the WRAT-3 RR over time in an HIV+ sample of predominantly racial/ethnic minority adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 88) completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, including the WRAT-3 RR, on at least two separate study visits. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were computed using scores from baseline and follow-up assessments to determine the test-retest reliability of the WRAT-3 RR across racial/ethnic groups and changes in medical (immunological) and clinical (neurocognitive) factors. Additionally, Fisher's Z tests were used to determine the significance of the differences between ICCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average test-retest interval was 58.7 months (SD = 36.4). The overall WRAT-3 RR test-retest reliability was high (r = .97, p < .001) and remained robust across all demographic, medical, and clinical variables (all r's > .92). ICCs did not differ significantly between the subgroups tested (all Fisher's Z p's > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, this study supports the appropriateness of word-reading tests, such as the WRAT-3 RR, for use as stable premorbid IQ estimates among ethnically diverse groups. Moreover, this study supports the reliability of this measure in the context of change in health and neurocognitive status and in lengthy inter-test intervals. These findings offer strong rationale for reading as a "hold" test, even in the presence of a chronic, variable disease such as HIV.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.|c Department of Psychology , Fordham University , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Fellows
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.|c Department of Psychology , Fordham University , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera-Mindt
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.|d Department of Neuroscience , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgello
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Desiree A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Byrd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV/AIDS; Low literacy.; Premorbid IQ; Reading tests; Reliability