Verbal series attention test: Clinical utility in the assessment of dementia

We report on a newly standardized attentional screening measure, the Verbal Series Attention Test (VSAT). Test items include forward and reverse generation of arithmetic series, days of the week, and months of the year; number-letter sequencing; and auditory vigilance for a spoken target letter. Interscorer and test-retest reliabilities for Time and Error scores are high (r = .86 to r = .98). Discriminant function analysis comparing Alzheimer's disease patients (n = 110) and age-matched control subjects (n = 110) yielded overall correct group classification of 87%. Construct validity was supported by high correlations between the VSAT and the WAIS-R Freedom From Distractibility factor, while low correlations were obtained with other neuropsychological tests with limited attentional demand. Age- and education-stratified VSAT scores are presented for 250 normal subjects from 20 to 90 years of age.