Estimating WAIS-R IQ from the National Adult Reading Test: a cross-validation

The National Adult Reading Test (NART) was devised to predict premorbid intellectual functioning in people suspected of having dementia, so that the extent of cognitive decline could be assessed by comparing these results with current performances. This study undertook a double cross-validation of the NART on a neurologically normal sample (N = 104) and on a clinically relevant sample (49 aged subjects). The results provide encouragement for the clinical utility of the NART. The study also demonstrated that the inclusion of demographic variables with the NART gives a substantially better estimate of premorbid cognitive functioning than that given by the NART or by demographic data alone.