Is the WMS-IV Verbal Paired Associates as Effective as Other Memory Tasks in Discriminating Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment from Normal Aging?
Author(s)
Pike, Kerryn E
Kinsella, Glynda J
Ong, Ben
Mullaly, Elizabeth
Rand, Elizabeth
Storey, Elsdon
Ames, David
Saling, Michael
Clare, Linda
Parsons, Samuel
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2013
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Paired associate learning tasks are reportedly particularly sensitive to preclinical Alzheimers disease. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the recently updated Wechsler Memory Scale verbal paired associates (VPA) in distinguishing the earliest stages of memory impairment (amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI), and the clinical application at the case level, compared with other episodic memory tasks. Participants were 77 people with aMCI and 77 matched healthy older adults (HOA). VPA performance distinguished aMCI from HOA at the group level with large effect sizes, of similar size to the other tasks at immediate ...
View more >Paired associate learning tasks are reportedly particularly sensitive to preclinical Alzheimers disease. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the recently updated Wechsler Memory Scale verbal paired associates (VPA) in distinguishing the earliest stages of memory impairment (amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI), and the clinical application at the case level, compared with other episodic memory tasks. Participants were 77 people with aMCI and 77 matched healthy older adults (HOA). VPA performance distinguished aMCI from HOA at the group level with large effect sizes, of similar size to the other tasks at immediate recall, but smaller than the CVLT-II list-learning task at delayed recall. Similarly, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated good discrimination, similar to other tasks, but again with CVLT-II more accurate at delayed recall. Although group differences remained for normative data, on a case basis using existing normative data the VPA failed to identify 70% of aMCI as impaired. The findings suggest further examination of the normative data is required before the VPA is useful in clinical practice, and highlight the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment in detecting mild memory changes in older adults. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.
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View more >Paired associate learning tasks are reportedly particularly sensitive to preclinical Alzheimers disease. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the recently updated Wechsler Memory Scale verbal paired associates (VPA) in distinguishing the earliest stages of memory impairment (amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI), and the clinical application at the case level, compared with other episodic memory tasks. Participants were 77 people with aMCI and 77 matched healthy older adults (HOA). VPA performance distinguished aMCI from HOA at the group level with large effect sizes, of similar size to the other tasks at immediate recall, but smaller than the CVLT-II list-learning task at delayed recall. Similarly, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated good discrimination, similar to other tasks, but again with CVLT-II more accurate at delayed recall. Although group differences remained for normative data, on a case basis using existing normative data the VPA failed to identify 70% of aMCI as impaired. The findings suggest further examination of the normative data is required before the VPA is useful in clinical practice, and highlight the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment in detecting mild memory changes in older adults. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.
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Journal Title
The Clinical Neuropsychologist
Volume
27
Issue
6
Subject
Social Sciences
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Psychology, Clinical
Clinical Neurology