RBANS cluster profiles in a geriatric community-dwelling sample

Clin Neuropsychol. 2013;27(5):794-807. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2013.783121. Epub 2013 Apr 3.

Abstract

Neuropsychological heterogeneity is prevalent in geriatric individuals and is due to a number of factors including the onset of neuropathology, increased risk of emotional complications, and normal cognitive changes associated with aging. In order to better characterize normal neurocognitive variability in this population, cluster analysis was used on a sample of 699 community-dwelling geriatric patients who completed The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Three-, four-, five-, and six-cluster solutions were examined and based on a number of criteria, the four-cluster solution was selected for further analysis. Clusters were defined primarily by measures of immediate memory, delayed memory, and processing speed, and differed on self-reported measures of functioning. These findings provide insights on normal neuropsychological variation in community-dwelling geriatric individuals.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Attention
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology*
  • Female
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Humans
  • Language
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Memory
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Self Report
  • Visual Perception