Concordance between the Saint Louis University Mental Status exam and the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status

A primary concern has long been understanding the construct validity of brief cognitive screening instruments, as well as item performance and the relationship to more established neuropsychological testing batteries. The current study sought to perform a more in-depth assessment of the construct validity one commonly utilized screening instrument (i.e., the Saint Louis University Mental Status examination or SLUMS) and its direct relationship with a more comprehensive neuropsychological testing battery (i.e., the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status or RBANS). Archival data was obtained from referrals for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a private, mid-Atlantic medical center in the United States of America between 2021 and 2025. The final sample included 544 individuals who met inclusion criteria. Factor analytic procedures yielded a five-factor solution: (1) Orientation & Retrieval Memory, (2) Complex Attention/Construction, (3) Verbal Fluency, (4) Receptive Language, and (5) Verbal Learning, accounting for 57% total variance. Current results provide support for the use of the SLUMS as a valid screener of neurocognitive functioning, especially in settings when clinicians require a reliable measure of cognition but are limited by time constraints.