Reliabilities, norms and factor structure of the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale

This is a report on the statistical properties of a research and clinical measure of cognitive and behavioral functioning, which has so far demonstrated utility among elderly persons. This instrument, the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale, is adapted from Luria's approach to the assessment of frontal lobe dysfunction. The scale shows high internal consistency and very good interrater reliability. In a clinically stable, elderly population, test-retest reliability is high. Normative data are presented for three different samples: 47 young adults, 141 cognitively normal elderly persons, and our total elderly sample of 229. A principal components analysis yielded 3 factors consistent with Luria's theory.