Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
Spring 5-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Psychology
Degree Name
Master of Science
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Cherisse Flanagan
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
David McAnulty
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Scott Perkins
Abstract
The need for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease has been well established in previous literature. As technology has spread across all professional fields, computerized screening instruments for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease have begun to draw attention. Research has noted that computerized screeners of dementia should be implemented in primary care physician offices, as the majority of elderly persons see their PCP more frequently than other health professionals. Specifically, self-administered computerized screening instruments that have acceptable psychometric sturdiness are needed for these offices. GrayMatters is a self-administered computerized screening measure that has previously been shown to have acceptable reliability and validity. The aim of this study was to reevaluate the concurrent validity of GrayMatters. Reevaluation was needed in order to compare GrayMatters to the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV, rather than the Wechsler Memory Scale-III as previous research had done, and due to population changes over time. In order to evaluate the concurrent validity of GrayMatters, archival data from 149 female participants and 102 male participants was gathered from the Texas Neuropsychology Clinic. Data sets included participants GrayMatters scores, Wechsler Memory Scale-IV scores, Mini-Mental Status Examination scores, Trailmaking A and B scores, Boston Verbal Fluency Test scores, as well as the participant’s age, gender, race, and level of education. GrayMatters scores were compared to scores from the WMS-IV, MMSE, Trailmaking A and B, and Boston Verbal Fluency Test in order to examine concurrent validity. Results indicate that GrayMatters scores were compatible with scores from all previously mentioned measures. These findings are important because they indicate that GrayMatters can be used as a screening instrument of Alzheimer’s disease that can be used to measure cognitive impairment and guide decisions regarding patient care.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hicks, Emily C., "Validity of GrayMatters: A Self-Administered Computerized Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease" (2019). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 144.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/144