USE OF THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL COGNITIVE STATUS EXAMINATION (COGNISTAT) IN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Objective: To examine the relationship between the Neurobehavioral Cog nitive Status Examination (Cognistat) and established neuropsychologic al measures of related constructs in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sa mple. Design: A retrospective study of 45 patients who were administer ed Cognistat as part of a neuropsychological evaluation. Setting: A te rtiary care rehabilitation center. Patients: Forty-five TBI patients a dmitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit from January 1994 through December 1995 and referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. Main O utcome Measure: Cognistat, a neuropsychological screening measure, tha t assesses orientation, attention, language, memory, calculation, cons truction, and reasoning. Pearson zero-order correlations were calculat ed between Cognistat subtests and selected standard neuropsychological measures. It was hypothesized that Cognistat would be associated with the standard neuropsychological measures. Results: The following Cogn istat subtests were significantly associated with standard neuropsycho logical measures: Cognistat Memory with the California Verbal Learning Test and Logical Memory, Cognistat Comprehension with the Token Test, Cognistat Construction with Block Design, and Cognistat Attention wit h Trails A. No significant relationship was found between Cognistat re asoning subtests and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Conclusion: Cons istent with the hypotheses, Cognistat subtests were significantly asso ciated with standard neuropsychological measures of related cognitive constructs. These findings suggest that general statements regarding s pecific domains of cognitive functioning can be made using Cognistat s ubtest scores.