Factor structure of the ARIC-NCS Neuropsychological Battery: An evaluation of invariance across vascular factors and demographic characteristics.

Abstract

Neuropsychological test batteries are designed to assess cognition in detail by measuring cognitive performance in multiple domains. This study examines the factor structure of tests from the ARIC-NCS battery overall and across informative subgroups defined by demographic and vascular risk factors in a population of older adults. We analyzed neuropsychological test scores from 6413 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) examined in 2011-2013. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess the fit of an a priori hypothesized three-domain model, and fit statistics were calculated and compared to one- and two-domain models. Additionally, we tested for stability (invariance) of factor structures among different subgroups defined by diabetes, hypertension, age, sex, race, and education. Mean age of participants was 76 years, 76% were White, and 60% were female. CFA on the a priori hypothesized three-domain structure, including memory, sustained attention and processing speed, and language, fit the data better (CFI=0.973, RMSEA=0.059) than the two-domain (CFI=0.960, RMSEA=0.070) and one-domain (CFI=0.947, RMSEA=0.080) models. BIC value was lowest, and QQ-Plots indicated better fit, for the three-domain model. Additionally, multiple-group CFA supported a common structure across the tested demographic subgroups, and indicated strict invariance by diabetes and hypertension status. In this community-based population of older adults with varying levels of cognitive performance, the a priori hypothesized three-domain structure fit the data well. The identified factors were configurally invariant by age, sex, race, and education, and strictly invariant by diabetes and hypertension status.

The Uniform Dataset 3.0 Neuropsychological Battery: Factor Structure, Invariance Testing, and Demographically Adjusted Factor Score Calculation

“…Regarding education, we found evidence for scalar invariance. This result suggests that that factor structure, loadings, and intercepts are equivalent across individuals of varying levels of formal education and conforms with the results reported by Rawlings et al (2016). Similarly, we reported evidence for strict invariance over time, replicating the findings of Hayden et al (2011) with the UDS2NB.…”

“…For sex, there was evidence for metric invariance, suggesting that the factor structure and loadings of the UDS3NB were equivalent for men and women, while intercepts and residual variances differed. Similar results were found in a sample of older adults administered the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study neuropsychological battery (Rawlings et al, 2016), though other authors have reported strict invariance of cognitive batteries by sex (Blankson & McArdle, 2015). Post-hoc examination of group differences in intercepts revealed that the largest difference occurred on the vegetable naming variable, with the intercept for women being higher than men.…”

“…Past research on measurement invariance across sexes and age groups among older adults has been mixed, likely due to differences in the batteries administered and the recruitment criteria used to select participants. For instance, past studies found evidence for scalar (Dowling, Hermann, La Rue, & Sager, 2010), strict (Rawlings et al, 2016), or partial strict invariance (Niileksela, Reynolds, & Kaufman, 2013) across age groups. We did not replicate any of these findings, instead finding evidence for metric invariance, suggesting that loadings were equivalent across age groups but intercepts and residual variances differed.…”

A randomized feasibility pilot trial of hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Results from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Pilot Study

“…A detailed neurocognitive battery [2] , [18] ( Table 1 ) was administered at baseline and 6-months. All measures were administered face-to-face in a quiet room by a certified technician.…”

Mid-life serum Vitamin D concentrations were associated with incident dementia but not late-life neuropsychological performance in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

“…Neuropsychological testing at the ARIC-NCS were administered in a quiet room by trained examiners using standardized protocols [29, 30] and included the following cognitive domains: memory (Delayed Word Recall Test, Logical Memory Test Part I and II, Incidental Learning), language (Animal Naming, Boston Naming Test, Word Fluency Test), and processing speed and executive function (Trail Making Test A and B, Digital Symbol Substitution Test, Digit Span Backwards). Secondary outcomes assessed includes functional ability [Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Time to Walk 4 m, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score and grip strength], mental status [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)], and depressive symptoms using the 11-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D).…”