Bi-factor analyses of the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telephone cognitive batteries are useful for large-scale screening and epidemiological studies, but their brevity and lack of content depth may cause psychometric limitations that hinder their utility. OBJECTIVE:The current study addressed some of these limitations by rescaling the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT; Tun & Lachman, 2006) using modern psychometric methods. METHODS: Archival data were obtained from a national sample of 4,212 28 to 84-year-old volunteers in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States Cognitive Project (Ryff & Lachman, 2007). We fit a bi-factor model to a combination of item-level, subscale-level, and scale-level data. RESULTS:The best fitting model contained a general factor and secondary factors capturing test-specific method effects or residual correlations for Number Series, Red/Green Test, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Factor scores generated from this model were compared with conventional BTACT scores. Important score differences (i.e., >0.3 standard deviation units) were found in 28% of the sample. The bi-factor scores demonstrated slightly superior validity than conventional BTACT scores when judged against a number of clinical and demographic criterion variables. CONCLUSIONS: Modern psychometric approaches to scoring the BTACT have the benefit of linear scaling and a modest criterion validity advantage.

Age of first exposure to American football and long-term neuropsychiatric and cognitive outcomes

“… 50 , 51 Telephone administration of cognitive tests is convenient, inexpensive and validated. 50 , 52 The BTACT evaluates episodic verbal memory, working memory, semantic fluency, task switching, inductive reasoning and processing speed. A global composite score is derived using a bi-factor analytic approach.…”

Cumulative Head Impact Exposure Predicts Later-Life Depression, Apathy, Executive Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment in Former High School and College Football Players

“…The following set of instruments administered to LEGEND participants were selected for the current study: 1) Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) 67 ; 2) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function -Adult Version (BRIEF-A) 68 ; 3) Center for Epidemiologic Studies -Depression Scale (CES-D) 69 ; and 4) Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). 70 Each of these measures was chosen a priori based on its previous use in studies of TBI and concussion (BRIEF-A, 25,71,72 AES, [73][74][75] CES-D, [76][77][78] BTACT 79 ), and on the availability of validated cutoff scores suggesting clinically meaningful impairment. 68,73,[80][81][82] BTACT.…”

“…68,73,[80][81][82] BTACT. The BTACT 67,79 is an objective measure of cognitive function administered by telephone. The benefits and 55 10.0g 13 965 Crisco et al 2011 62 10.0g 49 718 LB Crisco et al 2010 57 14.4g 29 846 685 Mihalik et al 2007 55 10.0g 9 655 Crisco et al 2011 62 10.0g 47 592 DB Crisco et al 2010 57 14.4g 34 487 417 Mihalik et al 2007 55 10.0g 12 731 Crisco et al 2011 62 10.0g 55 306 OL Crisco et al 2010 57 14.4g 46 960 728 Mihalik et al 2007 55 10.0g 22 921 Crisco et al 2011 62 10.0g 75 543 OB/RB Crisco et al 2010 57 14.4g 23 459 412 Mihalik et al 2007 55 10.0g 12 589 Crisco et al 2011 62 10.0g 37 326 WR Crisco et al 2010 57 14.4g 16 305 237 Mihalik et al 2007 55 10.0g 5 501 Crisco et al 2011 62 10 Player positions selected by our study participants were grouped, whenever necessary, in accordance with position groups as reported in the selected helmet-accelerometer studies and cross-referenced with position groups as characterized by relevant and authoritative publications.…”

“…FOOTBALL IMPACTS AND LATER-LIFE FUNCTIONING validity of cognitive test batteries administered by telephone are well documented. 79,83 The BTACT requires 20 min to complete and consists of six subtests that measure episodic verbal memory (Immediate and Delayed Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test), working memory (Digits Backward), verbal fluency (Animals Categorical Fluency), task switching (Red/ Green Test), inductive reasoning (Number Series), and processing speed (Backward Counting). 67 A global composite score was derived with the bi-factor approach, which has an overall improved validity over the single-factor approach and is better able to distinguish among persons with a lifetime history of head injury.…”

“…67 A global composite score was derived with the bi-factor approach, which has an overall improved validity over the single-factor approach and is better able to distinguish among persons with a lifetime history of head injury. 79 Age-and gender-corrected scores were scaled relative to a healthy normative sample. Objective cognitive impairment was defined as 1.5 standard deviations (SDs) below the normative mean.…”