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. 2014 Jul;20(6):599-610.
doi: 10.1017/S135561771400040X. Epub 2014 Jun 24.

NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB): list sorting test to measure working memory

David S Tulsky  1 , Noelle Carlozzi  2 , Nancy D Chiaravalloti  3 , Jennifer L Beaumont  4 , Pamela A Kisala  5 , Dan Mungas  6 , Kevin Conway  7 , Richard Gershon  4
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NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB): list sorting test to measure working memory

David S Tulsky et al. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

The List Sorting Working Memory Test was designed to assess working memory (WM) as part of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery. List Sorting is a sequencing task requiring children and adults to sort and sequence stimuli that are presented visually and auditorily. Validation data are presented for 268 participants ages 20 to 85 years. A subset of participants (N=89) was retested 7 to 21 days later. As expected, the List Sorting Test had moderately high correlations with other measures of working memory and executive functioning (convergent validity) but a low correlation with a test of receptive vocabulary (discriminant validity). Furthermore, List Sorting demonstrates expected changes over the age span and has excellent test-retest reliability. Collectively, these results provide initial support for the construct validity of the List Sorting Working Memory Measure as a measure of working memory. However, the relationship between the List Sorting Test and general executive function has yet to be determined.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Examples of One-List and Two-List List Sorting Task 1-List List Sorting requires participants to sequence items according to a single category, whereas 2-List List Sorting requires sequencing that involves an alternation between two different categories.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test scores by age (means +/− 2 standard errors.
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