THE CALIFORNIA VERBAL-LEARNING TEST IN THE DETECTION OF INCOMPLETE EFFORT IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

This study determined whether performance patterns on four California Verbal Learning Test variables (CVLT; Trials 1-5 List A, discriminabil ity, recognition hits, and long-delay cued recall) could differentiate participants with moderate and severe brain injuries from those with mild head injuries who were giving incomplete effort. Litigating mild head injury participants (n = 23) performing at chance level or worse on a forced-choice test obtained significantly lower scores on the fou r CVLT variables than participants with moderate and severe brain inju ries(n = 23). The linear discriminant function accurately classified 9 1%, and the quadratic function, 96%. The discriminability cutoff score accurately classified 93% of the cases; recognition hits, 89%; long-d elay cued recall, 87%; and CVLT total, 83%.