Abstract Objective Performance validity failure is uncommon among neuropsychological evaluations for persistent cognitive concerns post SARS-CoV-2 infection. Prior research has shown performance validity tests (PVTs) to be robust to demographic factors in general neuropsychiatric samples. This study investigated associations of demographic factors with PVT performance in neuropsychological patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2-associated cognitive concerns. Method Data were available from 61 adult (74% female) outpatients referred for cognitive concerns following SARS-Cov-2 infection. The sample was diverse (37.7% white, 32.8% Black, 23% Hispanic, and 6.6% other race/ethnicity), relatively young (M=43.51 years, SD=12.0) and highly educated (M=15.2 years, SD=3.0). Participants completed the Test of Memory Malingering Trial 1 TOMM T1, WAIS-IV Reliable Digit Span RDS; CVLT-3-Brief Form Forced Choice CVLT-3-BF FC; Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Recognition Discrimination BVMT RD; and Stroop Word Reading T-Score Stroop Word T. Logistic multiple regression and ANOVAs assessed associations between demographic factors (age, education, sex, race/ethnicity) and PVT failure. Results Seventeen (28%) examinees failed 1 PVT and only 4 (7%) failed 2PVTs. None of the assessed demographic factors were significantly associated with failure on any 1PVT (ps.05). Conclusion Demographic factors are not associated with PVT failure among patients referred for neuropsychological assessment for persisted cognitive complaints following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further research is needed to replicate these observations among other samples post-SARS-CoV-2 and explore other possible predictors of performance invalidity among patients presenting persistent cognitive complaints following SARS-Cov-2 infection.
Sedgwick et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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