EFFECTS OF AGE AND EDUCATION ON NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST-PERFORMANCE -A COMPARISON OF NORMAL VERSUS COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED GERIATRIC MEDICAL PATIENTS

The effects of age and education on neuropsychological test performanc e were examined in samples of cognitively intact (n = 51) and demented (n = 99) geriatric inpatients. Using Fisher's r to z procedure, no be tween sample differences for correlations were found, except for the r elationship between Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory IT pe rformance and age (z = 1.68; p <.05). These results are discrepant wit h those of previous studies that question the validity of demographica lly based score corrections for younger patients with neurological dis ease (e.g., Reitan & Wolfson, 1995). The authors advocate the consider ation of demographic influences on neuropsychological test performance , particularly when evaluating older, less educated persons.