ALPHANUMERIC SEQUENCING AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG ELDERLY PERSONS

Alphanumeric Sequencing involves the alternating recitation of countin g and the alphabet. We report data on the use of this measure among 11 2 VA patients ranging in age from 61 to 100 years who were administere d the Alphanumeric Sequencing, Trail Making Test, Digits Forward and B ackward, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Behavioral Dyscont rol Scale, Persons who obtained scores <27 on the Mini-Mental State Ex amination or <14 on the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale performed signific antly more poorly than those who scored higher. Both the time and erro rs were correlated (.11 to -.49) with measures of information processi ng and short-term memory.