Test-Retest Reliability, Convergent Validity and Practice Effects of the RBANS in a Memory Clinic Setting: A Pilot Study

Yanhong Dong, Claire L. Thompson, Shi Huey Joanne Tan, Leon Ben Swie Lim, Wanshin Pang, Christopher Li-Hsian Chen

1Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, Department of Pharmacology, National University Health System, Singapore 2Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
1Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, Department of Pharmacology, National University Health System, Singapore 2Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 3Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, School of Psychiatry,the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
James Cook University (Australia), Singapore Campus.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmp.2013.24B003                

Abstract

This pilot study examined the psychometric properties and clinical utility of a brief neuropsychological instrument (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The test-retest reliability, practice effects and convergent validity of RBANS were examined in participants without objective cognitive impairment. The tests were administered at two time points at approximately a two weeks’ interval, with 30 cognitively intact participants with a mean age of 63.3 ± 5.8 years. Adequate test-retest reliabilities were found for RBANS subtests, index and total scale scores with significant gain scores in immediate memory and visuospatial function. The RBANS showed good convergent validity and the RBANS supplemented with executive and language measures (Colour Trails Test and 30-item modified Boston Naming Test, respectively) demonstrated excellent convergent validity with a formal neuropsychological battery. This pilot study has provided the preliminary evidence of reliability and convergent validity of the RBANS. Additionally, it also provides insight on the practice effects so that clinicians may assess significant changes in RBANS subtests and domain indexes for clinical practice.

Keywords

RBANS; Neuropsychological Tests; Test-retest Reliability; Validity; Practice Effect

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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