Using the Rey-Osterrieth and Modified Taylor Complex Figures with Older Adults: A Preliminary Examination of Accuracy Score Comparability

Abstract

Although considerable research has now shown that the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and its original companion figure, the Taylor Complex Figure (TCF), are "not" comparable measures of visuospatial learning and memory, recent studies have provided evidence to suggest that the Modified TCF (MTCF) is a comparable measure to the ROCF. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the comparability of ROCF and MTCF accuracy scores with older adults using the traditional incidental learning procedure. A secondary aim was to examine whether performance on the two figures showed comparable gender effects and relationships with age and education. Comparable recall performance, but not copy performance, was found for the two figures in this sample of older adults. No gender differences were found on either figure and similar relationships with age and education were reported for the two figures. These findings are discussed within the context of previous research with consideration given to the clinical implications of the findings and future research recommendations.

Modified Taylor Complex Figure: Normative data from 290 adults

“…Some have reported that males outperform females in the ROCF (Caffarra et al ., ; but only in delayed recall, whereas in Miatton et al ., gender accounted for a proportion of the variance in the copy score; Kramer & Wells, ), but the differences in performance have generally been small or non‐existent (Berry et al ., ; Brauer Boone et al ., ; Peña‐Casanova et al ., ). Recently, gender differences were found on either figure, and similar relationships with age and education were reported for the two figures (Hubley, ).…”

Vascular hippocampal plasticity after aerobic exercise in older adults

“…The CF Test was used to assess spatial object recall (early, late) and recognition memory. The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure 32 was applied pre-intervention, whereas the Modified Taylor Complex 36 and is a valid alternative for testing visual long-term memory avoiding implicit learning that can occur when the same version of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure is used for repeated testing sessions. 37 The recognition memory test of the CF requires discrimination between similarly looking complex objects and thus poses high demands on accurate memory representations and pattern separation (see Supplementary Methods for details).…”

Test-retest reliability of spatial navigation in adults at-risk of Alzheimer’s disease

“…The assessment also included the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III (ACE) version B at baseline and version C at retest. Similarly, the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure test (ROCF) was administered at baseline and the Taylor Complex Figure task was administered at retest (see Table 2) [30,31]. Alternative task versions were administered at timepoints to reduce retest effects.…”