Construct validity and predictive value of the Hooper Visual Organization Test in stroke rehabilitation

The Hooper Visual Organization Test (HVOT; Hooper, 1958) is a commonly used measure of visual perceptual function. However, serious questions have recently been raised about its construct validity (i.e., the role of object naming). This study further examined the HVOT's construct validity and began exploring its contribution to outcome prediction in stroke rehabilitation. Participants were 101 rehabilitation inpatients suffering from recent cerebrovascular accidents. Each participant was administered the HVOT as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (Wechsler, 1981) Object Assembly, Picture Completion, and Cognistat Naming were significantly and uniquely correlated with the HVOT and accounted for about 45% of its variance. The HVOT's value in outcome prediction was examined by correlating HVOT with admission and discharge Functional Independence Measure (FIM; Granger & Hamilton, 1990; Hamilton, Granger, Sherwin, Zielezny, & Tashman, 1987) scores. While correlating weakly with some FIM domains, when admission FIM was controlled, the relation between HVOT and discharge FIM became nonsignificant. Implications of these data for the HVOT's clinical utility are discussed.