The test for severe impairment: validity with the Dementia Rating Scale and utility as a longitudinal measure

The Test for Severe Impairment (TSI; Albert & Cohen, 1992) was compared to the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS; Mattis, 1988) on nursing home patients identified with cognitive impairment. Construct validity, criterion validity, and reliability on repeated, longitudinal testing were determined. The TSI was also compared with the shortened form of the Boston Naming Test (Mack, Freed, Williams, & Henderson, 1992). Results show that the TSI is a valid tool of different cognitive domains and is useful in longitudinal settings where repeat testing is required. Moreover, although the TSI was a test designed for late stage assessment, it is a comparable measure with the DRS and can be used across the different levels of cognitive impairment in dementia.