The validity of the repeatable battery of neuropsychological status in acute stroke

The construct validity of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was investigated in a sample of 210 acute ischemic stroke patients seen on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. Intercorrelations between the six index scores were found to be relatively consistent with previously published work. A principal components analysis yielded a two-factor (Language/Verbal Memory and Visuospatial/Visual Memory) solution that accounted for 61% of the variance. Correlations generated between the resulting factor scores, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA), the Visual Form Discrimination Test (VFD), Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) Complex Ideational Material Test (CIM), the presence of neglect as determined by Line Bisection Test performance, and the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) supported the validity of these factors. A comparison of the obtained factor scores in a subgroup of 111 left and right hemispheric stroke patients showed that the left hemispheric stroke patients performed more poorly on the Language/Verbal Memory factor score than did right hemispheric stroke patients while the converse was true for the Visuospatial/Visual Memory factor score. Implications for the construct validity of the RBANS and its use and interpretation in clinical assessment are discussed.