Comparison of Neuropsychological and Balance Performance Validity Testing

Abstract

Performance validity testing in the context of neuropsychological assessment is well established. While such measures are also available with balance testing, little research has investigated these two domains in concert. The purpose of this study was to compare scores on two measures of performance validity across cognitive and balance modalities. Seventy-eight subjects independently evaluated by a neuropsychologist and an otolaryngologist in the context of disability evaluations were administered the Word Memory Test and Computerized Dynamic Posturography. Results of the measures were significantly correlated (r = 0.35, p = .002) and demonstrated 70.5% agreement. These data suggest that if symptom exaggeration occurs within one modality, other modalities may also be exaggerated and should be independently evaluated.

Overground and Virtual Reality Gait Speed Are Associated With Atypical Symptom Reporting in Active Duty Service Members With a History of Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

“…These participants had slower walking speed on all 3 measures assessed, including 2 overground measures and 1 immersive virtual environment involving treadmill walking. This is consistent with prior research suggesting that performance validity test failure during neuropsychological testing was associated with response bias on balance performance 45…”

“…This is consistent with prior research suggesting that performance validity test failure during neuropsychological testing was associated with response bias on balance performance. 45 Using a previously validated measure of symptom validity, the 3 walking speed measures were evaluated for potential cutoffs to aid the clinician in identifying gait speeds that may be indicative of SVT failure. On the CAREN CR, a cutoff of 1.01 m/s or less could serve as a screener of SVT failure, as it successfully identified 74% of those in the SVT fail group and 61% of those in the SVT pass group.…”

Multidimensional Malingering Criteria for Neuropsychological Assessment: A 20-Year Update of the Malingered Neuropsychological Dysfunction Criteria

“…In addition, in terms of forced-choice measures, the criteria include cognitive PVTs, not other kinds of PVTs for which research is still quite limited. However, future models may be able to include sensory PVTs ( Greve, Bianchini, & Ameduri, 2003 ), PVTs aimed at physical symptoms such as balance ( Armistead-Jehle, Lange, & Green, 2017 ), other forced-choice procedures for the determination of psychiatric exaggeration (e.g., Messer & Fremouw, 2007 ; Smith, 2018 ), or new techniques to detect physiological or imaging-based signs of feigning that go beyond our current testing tools.…”

Detecting memory performance validity with DETECTS: A computerized performance validity test

“…PVTs are usually forced-choice recognition tests, in which a patient, in the presence of a foil, must identify the stimuli which have previously been presented (Blaskewitz, Merten, & Kathmann, 2008;Gervais, Rohling, Green, & Ford, 2004). Although PVTs have been widely studied (Armistead-Jehle, Lange, & Green, 2017;Bianchini, Mathias, & Greve, 2001;Erdodi et al, 2017;Gast & Hart, 2010;Reslan, & Axelrod, 2017;Simões, 2006), a few research issues have emerged over the years.…”