Clinical Manifestations.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Digitizing neuropsychological measures increases accessibility.
• Supervised digitized tests are comparable to paper-and-pencil tests.
• Validity of unsupervised online tests is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare an unsupervised, self-administered online list learning task with traditional versions.
• To assess the validity of digital verbal learning tasks in older adults.
• To examine performance differences based on gender, age, and education.

Main Methods:

• 279 cognitively healthy older adults (60-96 years) completed an online survey.
• A digitized Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task (RAVLT) was administered unsupervised.
• Participants recalled word lists over three trials, including delayed recall.

Main Results:

• Performance generally aligned with established Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task norms.
• Females recalled significantly more words across all trials.
• No significant correlation was found between performance and age or education.

Conclusions:

• Unsupervised digital verbal learning tasks may be a viable option but require careful consideration.
• Findings support existing research on gender differences in verbal learning.
• The lack of age and education correlation necessitates cautious interpretation of unsupervised digital test results.