Estimating premorbid intellectual level in dementia using the National Adult Reading Test: a Canadian study

Citation

O'Carroll R & Sharpe K (1991) Estimating premorbid intellectual level in dementia using the National Adult Reading Test: a Canadian study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30 (4), pp. 381-384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1991.tb00962.x

Abstract
Twenty elderly demented subjects were compared with 20 elderly controls using a neuropsychological test battery which included the National Adult Reading Test (NART) and the WAIS-R. Significant differences emerged between the two groups on all of the cognitive measures administered, with the exception of the NART and the Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancy. Models were constructed using the normal controls as subjects where NART errors and WAIS-R Vocabulary age scaled scores were regressed against WAIS-R FSIQ and WAIS-R VIQ. These regression equations were then used to estimate premorbid intelligence levels in the demented sample, and these estimates were compared with the 'current' measures (WAIS-R FSIQ and WAIS-R VIQ). NART estimated IQs were significantly higher than Vocabulary estimated IQs, which in turn were significantly higher than WAIS-R FSIQ and WAIS-R VIQ. These results confirm that the ability to pronounce irregular words correctly remains relatively unimpaired in dementia.

Journal
British Journal of Clinical Psychology: Volume 30, Issue 4