Short NART, CCRT and spot-the-word: Comparisons in older and demented persons

This study compares the efficacy of three measures of premorbid intelligence: the National Adult Reading Test (NART), the Cambridge Contextual Reading Test (CCRT), and the Spot-the-Word Test. The results in a population sample of elderly and demented participants show that test efficacy varies between groups. In a demented group and a normal group of average readers, the CCRT leads to a higher estimate of premorbid word reading ability than the NART. Spot-the-Word results in good performance by normal groups and participants with minimal dementia, but performance is grossly impaired in subjects with mild/moderate dementia. We conclude that each test may be appropriate for specific groups.