Emerging evidence for speeded alphabet printing as a measure of processing speed and working memory

Alphabet Printing (in the forward and backward order) is a brief and highly portable test with promise as a screening measure of processing speed and simple working memory, constructs which are only minimally assessed in many of the most commonly-used cognitive screening instruments. The aim of this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied neuropsychology. Adult 2019-11, Vol.26 (6), p.573-580
Main Authors: Tolle, Kathryn, Spencer, Robert J., Montgomery, Valencia, Bieliauskas, Linas A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Alphabet printing
attention
cognitive screen
Female
Humans
Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests - standards
neuropsychology
processing speed
psychometrics
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Reproducibility of Results
Young Adult
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Summary:Alphabet Printing (in the forward and backward order) is a brief and highly portable test with promise as a screening measure of processing speed and simple working memory, constructs which are only minimally assessed in many of the most commonly-used cognitive screening instruments. The aim of this project was to examine the construct validity of timed Alphabet Printing in a sample of 254 Veterans with cognitive complaints and a history of possible head injury. Criterion measures included more established tests of processing speed and simple working memory, including the Trail Making Test and the Digit Span subtest from the fourth edition of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales. Alphabet Printing scores moderately correlated with the criterion measures of attention, working memory, and processing speed, and demonstrated acceptable classification accuracy in discriminating between individuals with and without evidence of cognitive impairment on Trails B. These findings provide additional support for the possible utility of including Alphabet Printing during cognitive screenings or as part of a larger neuropsychological test battery.
ISSN:2327-9095
2327-9109
DOI:10.1080/23279095.2018.1472094