Specificity data for the b Test, Dot Counting Test, Rey-15 Item Plus Recognition, and Rey Word Recognition Test in monolingual Spanish-speakers.

The current study provides specificity data on a large sample (n = 115) of young to middle-aged, male, monolingual Spanish speakers of lower educational level and low acculturation to mainstream US culture for four neurocognitive performance validity tests (PVTs): the Dot Counting, the b Test, Rey Word Recognition, and Rey 15-Item Plus Recognition. Individuals with 0 to 6 years of education performed more poorly than did participants with 7 to 10 years of education on several Rey 15-Item scores (combination equation, recall intrusion errors, and recognition false positives), Rey Word Recognition total correct, and E-score and omission errors on the b Test, but no effect of educational level was observed for Dot Counting Test scores. Cutoff scores are provided that maintain approximately 90% specificity for the education subgroups separately. Some of these cutoffs match, or are even more stringent than, those recommended for use in US test takers who are primarily Caucasian, are tested in English, and have a higher educational level (i.e., Rey Word Recognition correct false-positive errors; Rey 15-Item recall intrusions and recognition false-positive errors; b Test total time; and Dot Counting E-score and grouped dot counting time). Thus, performance on these PVT variables in particular appears relatively robust to cultural/language/educational factors.

Factors influencing driving status in an older Latino population.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims at examining factors associated with driving status and self-reported driving difficulty, with particular attention to vision and cognitive impairment. METHOD: This study uses cross-sectional data from 421 elderly Latino participants in the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) along with cognitive screening, and comparison is by driving status (currently driving, used to drive, never drove) and self-reported difficulty driving among current drivers. RESULTS: Current drivers were more educated and reported better health.Those who never drove were less acculturated.Those who gave up driving had more visual impairment and lower scores on mental status testing. Self-reported difficulties among current drivers were associated with more health problems but not cognitive difficulties. DISCUSSION: Elderly Latinos have a lower driving rate than the general older population. There are significant differences between older Latinos who continue to drive versus those who never drove or have stopped driving. Poorer cognitive performance and poorer vision are associated with driving cessation.

The Rey 15-item recognition trial: a technique to enhance sensitivity of the Rey 15-item memorization test.

Numerous publications on the Rey 15-item Memorization Test have cited limitations primarily in test sensitivity, as well as to some extent in specificity. In the current study, 49 patients with suspect effort, 36 neuropsychology clinic patients not in litigation or attempting to secure disability, 33 learning disabled college students, and 60 normal controls were administered the Rey Test in standard format followed by a recognition trial. A free recall score <9 was found to have excellent specificity (97-100%), although sensitivity was modest (47%). However, use of a combined recall and recognition score (i.e., free recall + [recognition - false positives] <20) substantially increased sensitivity (71%) while maintaining high specificity (> or=92%).