Benton OCS and OES as actuarial indices of brain pathology

The Benton Visual Retention Test was administered to two matched neurologically distinct middle-aged samples. The experimental sample that comprised brain-disordered Ss scored significantly higher obtained correct and error scores than did the controls. It also was found that a critical obtained correct score of 3 could discriminate the two samples at statistically significant levels, but with high false negative rates. A critical obtained error score of 4 failed to discriminate the two samples. Seventy-three percent of the total sample had identical predictions from both critical scores, and while the combined use of both scores did not improve the percentage hit rate over the single use of the obtained correct score, false negatives were reduced to acceptable levels.