Applied neuropsychology. Adult
-
Appl Neuropsychol Adult · Jan 2000
Comparative StudyPaced Visual Serial Addition Test: an alternative measure of information processing speed.
The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT; Gronwall, 1977; Gronwall & Sampson, 1974) is a measure of attention and information processing speed sensitive to mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), but it is aversive and inappropriate for many other neurologically impaired patients. This study examines a simpler, less aversive visual analog of the PASAT (the Paced Visual Serial Addition Test; PVSAT) in a sample of 74 college students (26 with a history of TBI). Results indicated that the PVSAT is moderately correlated with and less difficult than the PASAT. ⋯ Neither the PVSAT, PASAT, nor the other attentional measures differentiated participants with MTBI from normal controls in a college population. This preliminary study thus demonstrates the comparability of the two tests and presents the PVSAT as a viable alternative to the PASAT. Directions for future research and applications of these findings are discussed.