title: Exploring visuospatial abilities and their contribution to constructional abilities and nonverbal intelligence.
abstract: The present study aimed at exploring relationships among the visuospatial tasks included in the Battery for Visuospatial Abilities (BVA), and at assessing the relative contribution of different facets of visuospatial processing on tests tapping constructional abilities and nonverbal abstract reasoning. One hundred forty-four healthy subjects with a normal score on Mini Mental State Examination completed the BVA plus Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices and Constructional Apraxia test. We used Principal Axis Factoring and Parallel Analysis to investigate relationships among the BVA visuospatial tasks, and performed regression analyses to assess the visuospatial contribution to constructional abilities and nonverbal abstract reasoning. Principal Axis Factoring and Parallel Analysis revealed two eigenvalues exceeding 1, accounting for about 60% of the variance. A 2-factor model provided the best fit. Factor 1 included sub-tests exploring "complex" visuospatial skills, whereas Factor 2 included two subtests tapping "simple" visuospatial skills. Regression analyses revealed that both Factor 1 and Factor 2 significantly affected performance on Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, whereas only the Factor 1 affected performance on Constructional Apraxia test. Our results supported functional segregation proposed by De Renzi, suggesting clinical caution to utilize a single test to assess visuospatial domain, and qualified the visuospatial contribution in drawing and non-verbal intelligence test.
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0328-9642
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trojano
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology and Psychiatry , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cristinzio
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Battery for visuospatial abilities; constructional abilities; factorial analysis; spatial cognition; visuospatial abilities