Summary and psychometric properties of neuropsychological test measures and functional MRI (fMRI) behavioural tasks58
| Test | Administration time (minutes) | Age range (years) | Measure and purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief Visuospatial Memory Test—Revised (BVMT-R) | 15 (40 with delay interval) | 18–79 | Multiple trial figure-learning paradigm assessing visual learning and memory |
| California Verbal Learning Test—II (CVLT-II) | 35–40 | 16–89 | Multiple trial list-learning paradigm assessing verbal learning and memory |
| Color-Trails Test (CTT) | 5–10 | 18–89 | Manual drawing task assessing speed of attention, sequencing, mental flexibility, visual search and motor function |
| N-Back Task | 22 (fMRI version) | Not defined | Continuous performance task assessing attention and short-term memory |
| Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (computerised version) | 15–20 | 16–74 | Serial addition task assessing working memory, divided attention and information processing speed |
| Stroop (Golden version) | 5 | 5–90 | Reading task assessing cognitive control, goal maintenance and suppression of a habitual response in favour of a less familiar one |
| Warrington's Recognition Memory Task (words subtest only) | 8 (fMRI version) | 18–70 | Assesses recognition memory for printed words |
| Wechsler Memory Scale—III (WMS-III; Logical Memory I and II subtests) | 35–45 min with delay interval | 18–89 | Assesses auditory declarative (verbal) memory and learning |
| Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) | 15 | 6–89 | Brief intelligence measure |
| Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR) | 10 | 16–89 | Reading task assessing premorbid functioning |
| Wisconsin Sorting Card Task (WSCT) | 15–30 | 5–89 | Card-sorting task assessing ability to form abstract concepts, shift and maintain set, and utilise feedback |
Many of the measures chosen, namely the COWAT, CVLT-II, Stroop, WASI, WSCT, WMS-II and the WTAR have been used in previous studies involving obese populations, allowing for better direct comparison of future study results with work that has been previously completed.7 ,53 ,59–63