Valid measures of cognitive assessment with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are urgently needed:...

Initial studies identified the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform Assessment (PRPP-A) as a cognitive assessment with potential for culturally safe use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with neurocognitive impairments in the Northern Territory of Australia. This study examines construct and concurrent validity of the PRPP-A.

Data were collected from a medical record review. Construct validity was examined using multifaceted Rasch analysis on 44 PRPP-A scores. Concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson's product-moment correlation to examine relationships between the PRPP-A and Functional Independence Measure Cognitive subscale (FIM Cognition).

PRPP-A test items demonstrate good fit with the Rasch model, supporting unidimensionality. A hierarchy of cognitive strategies was generated. Ordering of test items was representative of the information processing skills required for task performance. There was a statistically significant, positive correlation between PRPP-A Total scores with FIM Cognition scores (r = 0.60, p = 0.003). The strongest relationship was identified between the PRPP-A Plan Quadrant and FIM Cognition scores (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). The strength of the relationship suggests evidence for concurrent validity.

The findings present emerging evidence supporting the construct and concurrent validity of PRPP-A when used with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Northern Territory with neurocognitive impairment.