A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF BRAIN DAMAGE TESTS ADMINISTERED TO NORMAL SUBJECTS WITH FACTOR SCORE COMPARISONS ACROSS AGES

This study investigated the factorial composition of brain damage tests selected on the basis of a comprehensive review of the test literature. The tests were administered to 100 normal persons between the ages of 16 and 70. Two analyses were performed. The first analysis concerned the determi- nation of the factorial composition of the brain damage tests selected. The results suggested that although the dimensionality of the brain damage test battery is relatively complex, the majority of the tests discriminate on the basis of a few dimensions, at least for normal persons. The second analysis involved the determination of factor scores for each individual on the twelve factors extracted in the 16-70 age group analysis. An analysis of the factor scores as a function of age indicated a significant difference for only two of the factors. This finding was discussed in terms of the possibility that certain of the tests would be psychometrically more efficient in differential diagnosis of brain damage in the older person.