8.5 Neuropsychological assessment of memory

Neuropsychological assessment of memory

Screening → in Neuropsychological assessment of memory

• Screening tests are fine as contact & follow-up tools, but not as a diagnostic tool

Screening tests of memory

• Memory Impairment test (TAM)

• Memory Impairment screen (MIS)

• Questionnaire memory failure of everyday life (MFE)

Memory impairment test (TAM)

• Process: Time orientation, immediate memory, semantics, free & clue memory

• Age: 18+

• Time: 5-6 min

• Cut- off score: MCD: 37, AD:31

Memory impairment screen (MIS)

• Process: Immediate memory, semantics, free memory & clues 

• Age: 18+

• Time: 3-4min

• Cut- off score: Deterioration: ≤4

Questionnaire memory failures of everyday life (MFE)

• Process: Subjective assessment questionnaire (metamemory) 

• Age: 19-64

• Time: 5 min

• Cut- off score: < 8: optimal 8-35: / insignificant failures / 35-50: Mnesic impairment with mild repercusion in DA / >50: severe mnesic impairment with impact in DA

Batteries assessing memories → types:

• Wechsler Memory Scale IV

• Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test RBMT 

• Test of Memory & Learning (TOMAL-2)

Wechsler Memory Scale IV

• processes: Working memory, explicit recall & recognition of auditory & visual information

• age: 16-89

• Administration time → 30-35 min (15-20 optional subtests)

• Measures obtained: Working memory, immediate & delayed recall & recognition of auditory & visual material, personal semantic information, orientation, learning, forgetting, proactive & retroactive interference

Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test RBMT 

• processes: Everyday memory functioning 

• age: 11-94

• administration time: 25 minutes

• measures obtained: Visual, verbal, recall, recognition, immediate & delayed everyday memory.

Test of Memory & Learning (TOMAL-2)

• processes: Verbal & non-verbal memory 

• age: 5-19

• administration time: 45 min

• measures obtained: Memory of stories, words, object recognition, memory of faces, abstract visual memory & visual places & sequences

Memory tests assessing Verbal memory

• California Verbal Learning Test & California Verbal Learning Test-Children

• Rey-Osterrieth Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)

• NEPSY-II

California Verbal Learning Test & California Verbal Learning Test-Children

• Processes: Explicit recall & recognition of semantically related words presented over multiple trials

• age: 16-89y + 6-16y

• Administration time: 15-20 min

• Measures obtained: Immediate & delayed recall, retrieval efficacy, acquisition rate, learning strategy, proactive & retroactive interference

Rey-Osterrieth Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)

• Processes: Explicit recall & recognition of words presented over multiple trials 

• age: 8-35

• Administration time: 10-15 min

• Measures obtained: Immediate & delayed recall, interference, recognition.

NEPSY-II

• Processes: Interference Word list, list memory, narrative memory, sentence repetition.

• age: 5-16 → depending on the test

• Administration time: 30 min

• Measures obtained: Short & long term memory & learning curve.

Assessment of Visual memory → types of tests

• Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT)

• Rey Complex Figure Test

• Suite NESPLORA

• NEPSY-II

Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT)

• Processes: Explicit recall of designs, copying & recognition test formats are also available

• age: 6-97

• Administration time: 5-10

• Measures obtained: total number correct, number of errors

Rey Complex Figure Test

• Process: Explicit recall & recognition of a complex figure, constructional ability 

• age: 6-93

• administration time: 10-15 min

• measures obtained: Long term memory, learning, recognition

Suite NESPLORA

• Process: Explicit recall & recognition of the orders that the families tell you.

• age: 12-90

• administration time: 23-35 min

• measures obtained: Immediate, short, long-term & prospective memory, learning curve, recognition.

NEPSY-II

• Process: Memory for designs, memory for faces.

• age: 5-16

• administration time: 30 min

• measures obtained: Short- & long-term memory & learning curve

Case studies