Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT)

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• The original Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) has a global score cutoff of 10.
• This cutoff may be too strict for older adults, especially those with lower education levels, in memory training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish adjusted age and education norms for the RBMT global score.
• To provide a more accurate performance representation for older adults.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed data from 711 subjects.
• Grouped participants by age (65-83) and education level (primary, high school, university).
• Examined score trends across age and education strata.

Main Results:

• RBMT scores significantly decrease with age, particularly over 5-year intervals.
• 81.86% of the sample scored below the original 10-point cutoff.
• Score decline between adjacent age groups was not always statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• The original RBMT cutoff is often inappropriate for older adults.
• Adjusted norms based on age and education are necessary for accurate assessment.
• This study offers improved RBMT scoring for older populations in memory programs.