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 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.
['Tolle|Kathryn|K|', 'Spencer|Robert J|RJ|', 'Montgomery|Valencia|V|', 'Bieliauskas|Linas A|LA|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008570:Memory, Short-Term D008875:Middle Aged D009483:Neuropsychological Tests D011597:Psychomotor Performance D011930:Reaction Time D015203:Reproducibility of Results D055815:Young Adult
Alphabet printing processing speed cognitive screen attention neuropsychology psychometrics