Data Type Details: Benton Visual Retention Test

Details Pertaining to Benton Visual Retention Test

Principal Investigator: Alan Zonderman
Collaborating Investigators: (none)
Year First Collected: 1960
Year Last Collected: 1989
Frequency of Collection: At 6 year intervals
Subset Data Files on the VMS Cluster? Files info224.*, Inactive as of 11/97. For access to these data, please contact Dr. Paul Costa or Dr. Alan Zonderman.

Data Type Notes:

(none) Descriptive History:

-----Variables Ordered by Position-----
# Variable Type Len Pos Format Label
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 ID Num 4 0 4. BLSA Identification
2 VI Num 4 4 4.1 BLSA Visit number
3 BVRQUI Num 4 8 2. BVR Quit #
4 BVRFRM Num 4 12 1. BVR Form
5 BVRTOT Num 4 16 2. BVR Total errors
6 BVRDES Num 4 20 2. BVR Designs with errors
7 BVRFIG Num 4 24 2. BVR Errorful figures
8 BVROMM Num 4 28 2. BVR Omissions
9 BVRADD Num 4 32 2. BVR Additions
10 BVRDIS Num 4 36 2. BVR Distortions
11 BVRPER Num 4 40 2. BVR Perseverations
12 BVRROT Num 4 44 2. BVR Rotations
13 BVRMIS Num 4 48 2. BVR Misplacements
14 BVRSIZ Num 4 52 2. BVR Size errors
15 BVRO01 Num 4 56 2. BVR Card 01 Omissions
16 BVRA01 Num 4 60 2. BVR Card 01 Additions
17 BVRD01 Num 4 64 2. BVR Card 01 Distortions
18 BVRP01 Num 4 68 2. BVR Card 01 Perseverations
19 BVRR01 Num 4 72 2. BVR Card 01 Rotations
20 BVRM01 Num 4 76 2. BVR Card 01 Misplacements
21 BVRS01 Num 4 80 2. BVR Card 01 Size errors
22 BVRO02 Num 4 84 2. BVR Card 02 Omissions
23 BVRA02 Num 4 88 2. BVR Card 02 Additions
24 BVRD02 Num 4 92 2. BVR Card 02 Distortions
25 BVRP02 Num 4 96 2. BVR Card 02 Perseverations
26 BVRR02 Num 4 100 2. BVR Card 02 Rotations
27 BVRM02 Num 4 104 2. BVR Card 02 Misplacements
28 BVRS02 Num 4 108 2. BVR Card 02 Size errors
29 BVRO03 Num 4 112 2. BVR Card 03 Omissions
30 BVRA03 Num 4 116 2. BVR Card 03 Additions
31 BVRD03 Num 4 120 2. BVR Card 03 Distortions
32 BVRP03 Num 4 124 2. BVR Card 03 Perseverations
33 BVRR03 Num 4 128 2. BVR Card 03 Rotations
34 BVRM03 Num 4 132 2. BVR Card 03 Misplacements
35 BVRS03 Num 4 136 2. BVR Card 03 Size errors
36 BVRO04 Num 4 140 2. BVR Card 04 Omissions
37 BVRA04 Num 4 144 2. BVR Card 04 Additions
38 BVRD04 Num 4 148 2. BVR Card 04 Distortions
39 BVRP04 Num 4 152 2. BVR Card 04 Perseverations
40 BVRR04 Num 4 156 2. BVR Card 04 Rotations
41 BVRM04 Num 4 160 2. BVR Card 04 Misplacements
42 BVRS04 Num 4 164 2. BVR Card 04 Size errors
43 BVRO05 Num 4 168 2. BVR Card 05 Omissions
44 BVRA05 Num 4 172 2. BVR Card 05 Additions
45 BVRD05 Num 4 176 2. BVR Card 05 Distortions
46 BVRP05 Num 4 180 2. BVR Card 05 Perseverations
47 BVRR05 Num 4 184 2. BVR Card 05 Rotations
48 BVRM05 Num 4 188 2. BVR Card 05 Misplacements
49 BVRS05 Num 4 192 2. BVR Card 05 Size errors
50 BVRO06 Num 4 196 2. BVR Card 06 Omissions
51 BVRA06 Num 4 200 2. BVR Card 06 Additions
52 BVRD06 Num 4 204 2. BVR Card 06 Distortions
53 BVRP06 Num 4 208 2. BVR Card 06 Perseverations
54 BVRR06 Num 4 212 2. BVR Card 06 Rotations
55 BVRM06 Num 4 216 2. BVR Card 06 Misplacements
56 BVRS06 Num 4 220 2. BVR Card 06 Size errors
57 BVRO07 Num 4 224 2. BVR Card 07 Omissions
58 BVRA07 Num 4 228 2. BVR Card 07 Additions
59 BVRD07 Num 4 232 2. BVR Card 07 Distortions
60 BVRP07 Num 4 236 2. BVR Card 07 Perseverations
61 BVRR07 Num 4 240 2. BVR Card 07 Rotations
62 BVRM07 Num 4 244 2. BVR Card 07 Misplacements
63 BVRS07 Num 4 248 2. BVR Card 07 Size errors
64 BVRO08 Num 4 252 2. BVR Card 08 Omissions
65 BVRA08 Num 4 256 2. BVR Card 08 Additions
66 BVRD08 Num 4 260 2. BVR Card 08 Distortions
67 BVRP08 Num 4 264 2. BVR Card 08 Perseverations
68 BVRR08 Num 4 268 2. BVR Card 08 Rotations
69 BVRM08 Num 4 272 2. BVR Card 08 Misplacements
70 BVRS08 Num 4 276 2. BVR Card 08 Size errors
71 BVRO09 Num 4 280 2. BVR Card 09 Omissions
72 BVRA09 Num 4 284 2. BVR Card 09 Additions
73 BVRD09 Num 4 288 2. BVR Card 09 Distortions
74 BVRP09 Num 4 292 2. BVR Card 09 Perseverations
75 BVRR09 Num 4 296 2. BVR Card 09 Rotations
76 BVRM09 Num 4 300 2. BVR Card 09 Misplacements
77 BVRS09 Num 4 304 2. BVR Card 09 Size errors
78 BVRO10 Num 4 308 2. BVR Card 10 Omissions
79 BVRA10 Num 4 312 2. BVR Card 10 Additions
80 BVRD10 Num 4 316 2. BVR Card 10 Distortions
81 BVRP10 Num 4 320 2. BVR Card 10 Perseverations
82 BVRR10 Num 4 324 2. BVR Card 10 Rotations
83 BVRM10 Num 4 328 2. BVR Card 10 Misplacements
84 BVRS10 Num 4 332 2. BVR Card 10 Size errors

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Transition to SAS
11:26 Sunday, November 2, 1997 38
Revise GZT export file (IDVI only)

Variable Label N Mean Std Dev Minimum Maximum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
ID BLSA Identification 6251 2201.54 2142.58 12.00 9902.00
VI BLSA Visit number 6251 5.69 5.01 0.00 26.00
BVRQUI BVR Quit # 6251 0.01 0.21 0.00 9.00
BVRFRM BVR Form 6251 2.04 0.89 1.00 3.00
BVRTOT BVR Total errors 6251 4.64 3.65 0.00 30.00
BVRDES BVR Designs with errors 6251 3.20 2.03 0.00 10.00
BVRFIG BVR Errorful figures 6251 4.48 3.44 0.00 26.00
BVROMM BVR Omissions 6251 0.29 0.89 0.00 16.00
BVRADD BVR Additions 6251 0.01 0.12 0.00 3.00
BVRDIS BVR Distortions 6251 2.19 2.10 0.00 20.00
BVRPER BVR Perseverations 6251 0.66 0.93 0.00 6.00
BVRROT BVR Rotations 6251 0.88 0.98 0.00 6.00
BVRMIS BVR Misplacements 6251 0.48 0.85 0.00 8.00
BVRSIZ BVR Size errors 6251 0.13 0.44 0.00 5.00
BVRO01 BVR Card 01 Omissions 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRA01 BVR Card 01 Additions 6251 0.00 0.01 0.00 1.00
BVRD01 BVR Card 01 Distortions 6251 0.02 0.15 0.00 1.00
BVRP01 BVR Card 01 Perseverations 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRR01 BVR Card 01 Rotations 6251 0.00 0.07 0.00 1.00
BVRM01 BVR Card 01 Misplacements 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRS01 BVR Card 01 Size errors 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRO02 BVR Card 02 Omissions 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRA02 BVR Card 02 Additions 6251 0.00 0.02 0.00 1.00
BVRD02 BVR Card 02 Distortions 6251 0.07 0.25 0.00 1.00
BVRP02 BVR Card 02 Perseverations 6251 0.00 0.02 0.00 1.00
BVRR02 BVR Card 02 Rotations 6251 0.02 0.13 0.00 1.00
BVRM02 BVR Card 02 Misplacements 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRS02 BVR Card 02 Size errors 6251 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BVRO03 BVR Card 03 Omissions 6251 0.01 0.09 0.00 2.00
BVRA03 BVR Card 03 Additions 6251 0.00 0.03 0.00 1.00
BVRD03 BVR Card 03 Distortions 6251 0.02 0.17 0.00 3.00
BVRP03 BVR Card 03 Perseverations 6251 0.00 0.05 0.00 2.00
BVRR03 BVR Card 03 Rotations 6251 0.03 0.19 0.00 2.00
BVRM03 BVR Card 03 Misplacements 6251 0.03 0.18 0.00 1.00
BVRS03 BVR Card 03 Size errors 6251 0.00 0.07 0.00 1.00
BVRO04 BVR Card 04 Omissions 6251 0.01 0.09 0.00 2.00
BVRA04 BVR Card 04 Additions 6251 0.00 0.03 0.00 1.00
BVRD04 BVR Card 04 Distortions 6251 0.04 0.22 0.00 3.00
BVRP04 BVR Card 04 Perseverations 6251 0.03 0.19 0.00 2.00
BVRR04 BVR Card 04 Rotations 6251 0.08 0.28 0.00 2.00
BVRM04 BVR Card 04 Misplacements 6251 0.08 0.28 0.00 3.00
BVRS04 BVR Card 04 Size errors 6251 0.01 0.09 0.00 2.00
BVRO05 BVR Card 05 Omissions 6251 0.03 0.19 0.00 3.00
BVRA05 BVR Card 05 Additions 6251 0.00 0.05 0.00 1.00
BVRD05 BVR Card 05 Distortions 6251 0.21 0.48 0.00 3.00
BVRP05 BVR Card 05 Perseverations 6251 0.16 0.44 0.00 2.00
BVRR05 BVR Card 05 Rotations 6251 0.10 0.32 0.00 2.00
BVRM05 BVR Card 05 Misplacements 6251 0.06 0.24 0.00 2.00
BVRS05 BVR Card 05 Size errors 6251 0.04 0.19 0.00 2.00
BVRO06 BVR Card 06 Omissions 6251 0.02 0.17 0.00 3.00
BVRA06 BVR Card 06 Additions 6251 0.00 0.04 0.00 1.00
BVRD06 BVR Card 06 Distortions 6251 0.16 0.44 0.00 3.00
BVRP06 BVR Card 06 Perseverations 6251 0.03 0.17 0.00 2.00
BVRR06 BVR Card 06 Rotations 6251 0.10 0.37 0.00 2.00
BVRM06 BVR Card 06 Misplacements 6251 0.05 0.23 0.00 2.00
BVRS06 BVR Card 06 Size errors 6251 0.01 0.12 0.00 1.00
BVRO07 BVR Card 07 Omissions 6251 0.06 0.29 0.00 3.00
BVRA07 BVR Card 07 Additions 6251 0.00 0.05 0.00 1.00
BVRD07 BVR Card 07 Distortions 6251 0.36 0.59 0.00 3.00
BVRP07 BVR Card 07 Perseverations 6251 0.17 0.39 0.00 3.00
BVRR07 BVR Card 07 Rotations 6251 0.10 0.32 0.00 2.00
BVRM07 BVR Card 07 Misplacements 6251 0.07 0.26 0.00 2.00
BVRS07 BVR Card 07 Size errors 6251 0.02 0.13 0.00 1.00
BVRO08 BVR Card 08 Omissions 6251 0.03 0.21 0.00 3.00
BVRA08 BVR Card 08 Additions 6251 0.00 0.03 0.00 1.00
BVRD08 BVR Card 08 Distortions 6251 0.30 0.58 0.00 3.00
BVRP08 BVR Card 08 Perseverations 6251 0.06 0.25 0.00 2.00
BVRR08 BVR Card 08 Rotations 6251 0.14 0.36 0.00 2.00
BVRM08 BVR Card 08 Misplacements 6251 0.05 0.23 0.00 2.00
BVRS08 BVR Card 08 Size errors 6251 0.01 0.12 0.00 2.00
BVRO09 BVR Card 09 Omissions 6251 0.06 0.26 0.00 3.00
BVRA09 BVR Card 09 Additions 6251 0.00 0.05 0.00 1.00
BVRD09 BVR Card 09 Distortions 6251 0.48 0.64 0.00 3.00
BVRP09 BVR Card 09 Perseverations 6251 0.12 0.34 0.00 2.00
BVRR09 BVR Card 09 Rotations 6251 0.11 0.32 0.00 2.00
BVRM09 BVR Card 09 Misplacements 6251 0.05 0.22 0.00 2.00
BVRS09 BVR Card 09 Size errors 6251 0.03 0.16 0.00 2.00
BVRO10 BVR Card 10 Omissions 6251 0.08 0.31 0.00 3.00
BVRA10 BVR Card 10 Additions 6251 0.00 0.03 0.00 2.00
BVRD10 BVR Card 10 Distortions 6251 0.53 0.70 0.00 3.00
BVRP10 BVR Card 10 Perseverations 6251 0.08 0.28 0.00 2.00
BVRR10 BVR Card 10 Rotations 6251 0.19 0.40 0.00 2.00
BVRM10 BVR Card 10 Misplacements 6251 0.09 0.29 0.00 2.00
BVRS10 BVR Card 10 Size errors 6251 0.02 0.12 0.00 1.00
--- DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY:

Benton Visual Retention Test. This non-verbal memory test was administered initially at six-year intervals beginning in 1960, and in 1990 at every visit for participants 50 or older. From 1960 to 1990, Form C was used for the first administration, Form E for the second, Form D for the third, and Form C again for the fourth. Each form is made up of ten designs with one or more figures; the task is to reproduce each design from memory after inspecting it for ten seconds. The primary measure is the number of errors in all ten reproductions.

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DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT, METHOD, OR MEDIUM:

The test was administered and scored using the standard published instructions.

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RELATED PROTOCOLS:

None

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Investigators:

Alan Zonderman (mailto:abz@lpc.grc.nia.nih.gov)
Susan Resnick (mailto: resnick@lpc.grc.nia.nih.gov)

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Frequency of collection: Every visit for participant 50 or older

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Inclusion & exclusion rules: None

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Publications using these data:

Arenberg D, Robertson-Tchabo EA.
Learning and memory.
In: Birren JE, Schaie KW, ed.
Handbook of the Psychology of Aging
. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977.

Robertson-Tchabo EA, Arenberg D.
Assessment of memory in older adults.
In: Hunt T, Lindley CJ, ed.
Testing older adults.
Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, 1989.
Adult life span changes in immediate visual memory and verbal intelligence<br>
Giambra LM, Arenberg D, Kawas CH, Zonderman AB, Costa PT. Adult life span changes in immediate visual memory and verbal intelligence.
Psychol Aging 1995;10(1):123-139.
A sample of 558 women and 1,163 men 17 to 102 years old, screened for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease, was administered tests of immediate visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test) and crystallized intelligence (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Vocabulary subtest) from one to five times over 27.7 years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence led to the conclusion that the 65-74-year decade was a watershed for decremental changes in immediate visual memory and verbal intelligence. Age accounted for considerably less variance in vocabulary than in immediate memory. The proportion of individuals whose longitudinal trajectories were contrary to group trends decreased substantially with increased age; observed age changes remained when analyses were restricted to individuals who had perfect or near-perfect mental status scores. Selected neuronal loss and slower reproduction times were considered as possible causes.
Age-associated changes in specific errors on the Benton Visual Retention Test<br>
Resnick SM, Trotman KM, Kawas C, Zonderman AB. Age-associated changes in specific errors on the Benton Visual Retention Test. Journals of Gerontology 1995;50b(3):P171-P178.
Examined whether particular types of errors contribute differentially to the increase in total Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) errors observed with normal aging. The differential increase in seven error categories (omission, distortions, perseverations, rotations, misplacements, size, and addition) were examined for 1,365 men and 635 women in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (aged 20-102 yrs). Cross-sectional analyses indicated that errors increased with age, being greater for distortions, omissions and rotations. There were gender differences, reflecting increased rotation and omission errors in women. Longitudinal analyses for a subset of 673 participants with three BVRT assessments were consistent with the cross-sectional data and indicated intra-individual increases with age in distortions, omissions and rotations. While women made more omission errors, men showed steeper increases in such errors with age.
Changes in immediate visual memory predict cognitive impairment<br>
Zonderman AB, Giambra LM, Arenberg D, Resnick SM, Costa PT. Changes in immediate visual memory predict cognitive impairment. Archiv Clin Neuropsychol 1995;10(2):111-123.
Results of a 6-yr longitudinal study showed that changes in immediate visual memory performance assessed by the Benton Visual Retention (BVR) test predicted Alzheimer's disease (AD) prior to onset. Ss included 371 community-dwelling adult participants (aged 55-95 yrs) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, seven of whom received probable or definite AD diagnoses using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised (DSM-III-R) and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Ss with diagnoses of AD had larger changes in immediate memory performance over the 6-yr interval prior to the estimated onset of their disease than Ss without AD. Six-yr longitudinal change as well as level in immediate visual memory performance also predicted subsequent cognitive performance 6-15 and 16-22 yrs later, even after adjusting for the influences of age, general ability, and initial immediate memory.
Estrogen replacement therapy and longitudinal decline in visual memory: A possible protective effect?<br> Resnick SM, Metter EJ, Zonderman AB.
Estrogen replacement therapy and longitudinal decline in visual memory: A possible protective effect?
Neurology . in press.
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is increasingly recommended for post-menopausal women due to its beneficial effects on physical health in older women. Recent studies have suggested that ERT may have a protective effect on cognitive function and may reduce the risk for Alzheimer's Disease. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that ERT may have a protective effect on memory in women that are not demented. Data on hormonal status and memory were examined in 288 postmenopausal women in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. One hundred sixteen women who reported that they were receiving ERT during a cognitive assessment were compared with 172 women who had never received ERT. Women who were receiving ERT had fewer errors on the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), a measure of short-term visual memory, visual perception and constructional skills. Furthermore, ERT appeared to protect against age changes in BVRT performance in a subgroup of 18 women for whom BVRT data were available prior to and during treatment with ERT. These findings suggest that ERT may protect against memory decline in nondemented postmenopausal women and offer further support for a beneficial role of estrogen on cognitive functioning in aging women.
Alan Zonderman abz@lpc.grc.nia.nih.gov
Laboratory of Personality & Cognition, National Institute on Aging, NIH

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