Construct Validity of the 7/24 Spatial Recall Test

Abstract This investigation was conducted to examine the construct validity of the 7/24 Spatial Recall Test (7/24). Participants were 64 outpatients who met criteria for clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). Data obtained from administration of a fixed neuropsychological assessment battery were analyzed to evaluate the relation between demographic, physical, and emotional factors and performance on the 7/24, to examine the measure's convergent/discriminant validity, to determine which variables account for the greatest proportion of variance in 7/24 scores, and to assess further the test's sensitivity to the cognitive sequelae of MS. Findings suggest that 7/24 scores are significantly explained by the constructs of visual-spatial perception/analysis, memory, reasoning, and/or processing speed. The proportion of variance in 7/24 performances accounted for by cognitive and demographic variables, however, was quite low. Relative to the measure's normative sample, participants in this investigation performed significantly poorer on number of responses recalled across Set A learning trials but not on Set A long-delay recall. Results of this investigation indicate some level of sensitivity of the 7/24 to the cognitive impairments associated with MS but offer only weak support for the 7/24 as a valid measure of visuospatial learning/memory.