Construct Validity and Extended Normative Data for Older Adults for the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised

• Published in: American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias Vol. 29; no. 7; pp. 601 - 606
• Main Authors: Kane, Katherine D., Yochim, Brian P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2014
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Current Topics in Research; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Male; Memory - physiology; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Verbal Learning - physiology; BVMT-R; older adults; validity; visual memory; normative
• ISSN: 1533-3175; 1938-2731
• DOI: 10.1177/1533317514524812

Purpose: This study examined the construct validity of a visual memory test (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised [BVMT-R]) in a sample of older adults and provided normative data for adults aged 80+ years. Method: The sample included 109 community-dwelling individuals (mean [M] age = 74.9 years, M education = 15.0 years, 62.4% female, and 97.2% European American). Procedures: Measures administered included the BVMT-R, California Verbal Learning Test, 2nd edition, and subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and Neuropsychological Assessment Battery. Results: The BVMT-R correlated highly with another measure of memory and less so with unrelated measures (e.g., verbal fluency). Age and education were significantly correlated with BVMT-R Total and Delayed Recall scores, with education as the strongest predictor. No significant differences were found for sex. Normative data were provided for adults aged 80 to 88 years (n = 29). Conclusions: Adequate evidence was found for convergent validity and only partial support for discriminant validity. Normative data should continue to be stratified by age and also by formal education level.