Construct and predictive validity of the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status in the evaluation of stroke patients

To evaluate the construct and predictive validity of a brief neuropsychological assessment battery, consecutive admissions to a hospital receiving inpatient treatment for stroke were tested with the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and other neuropsychological measures. Discriminant and convergent validity were adequate for the Language, Visuospatial/Constructional, Immediate Memory and Delayed Memory indices in the RBANS, but weaker for the Attention Index. Twelve months later, 36 discharged patients were contacted by telephone and interviewed using a battery of functional outcome measures. RBANS Total Score predicted cognitive disability as measured by the Functional Independence Measure. Individual indices from the RBANS also predicted instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) as measured by the Frenchay Activity Index and participation restrictions as measured by the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique. The present findings suggest that the RBANS can be a useful tool in the neuropsychological evaluation of inpatients with stroke.