IMPROVEMENT IN NART WORD READING IN DEMENTED AND NORMAL OLDER PERSONSUSING THE CAMBRIDGE CONTEXTUAL READING TEST

A test that assesses ability to pronounce correctly a list of irregula r words(NART) has become widely used to estimate IQ particularly in el derly and demented subjects. This estimate relies on the assumption th at words that are not pronounced correctly were not previously in the subject's vocabulary. This assumption was questioned by the results of a community study showing that older adults commonly mispronounced ev en simple NART words that were almost certainly in their vocabulary. T he present study investigated the extent to which putting NART words i nto sentences facilitated correct pronunciation. Both normal and demen ted subjects substantially improved their performance when the words w ere seen in context. The improvement was most marked for demented subj ects andfor poor or average readers as compared with skilled readers. Since irregularwords can only be pronounced correctly if they are in t he individual's vocabulary, it appears that the NART underestimates re ading ability and, hence, underestimates premorbid IQ in certain group s. We conclude that the Cambridge Contextual Reading Test (CCRT) provi des a more accurate estimate of reading ability and IQ in elderly and demented subjects.