EFFECTS OF PATIENT AGE ON NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST INTERPRETATION

Normative test data for a 38-year-old and for a 74-year-old were obtai ned for the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, the Wechsler A dult Intelligence Scale-Revised, and the Wechsler Memory Scale. These test protocols were presented for blind interpretation to a random sam ple of psychologists specializing in neuropsychology. Test results for the ''average'' elderly person were interpreted as normal less freque ntly (42%) than results for the ''average'' younger adult (93%). The e lderly person's test results also received higher impairment ratings a nd were frequently interpreted as reflecting dementia (23%). Subject's level of confidence with decisions made did not have an impact on acc uracy rates. In addition, personal, training, and professional variabl es were not significantly related to judgment accuracy. The results su ggest a tendency for misinterpretation of normal elderly persons' test performance.