Validity of a recall and recognition condition to assess visual memory in the CERAD battery

This study assessed the validity of a measure of visual recall and recognition memory using a modified administration of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) Constructional Praxis task to extend the capacity of the CERAD neuropsychological battery's ability to assess nonverbal free and recognition recall. The sample consisted of consecutive university hospital memory disorders clinic patients (n = 77). To test the measures' ability to discriminate dementia severity based on an independently derived clinical dementia rating, scores on Free Visual Recall showed expected group differences as a function of dementia severity (ANOVA, F = 12.7, p = .0001), but exhibited a floor effect in the moderately severe dementia range. Recognition Visual Recall was also able to discriminate dementia severity based on an independently derived clinical dementia rating (ANOVA, F = 10.6, p = .0001). Both Free Visual Recall and Recognition Visual Recall measures were found to have strong concurrent validity based on intercorrelations with the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R; Wechsler, 1987) Visual Reproduction I and II. In addition, moderate to strong discriminant validity for Free Visual Recall was demonstrated based on correlations with a family member self-report of memory problems in everyday life.