Re: NPZ-8 is one of the batteries of test to determine changes in co

[Guest guest]

For NPZ-8 and the others (e.g., " CES-D, Mini-Mental State Examination and State Trait " ), you may have to consult a neurologist, neuropsychologist or a neurology textbook for a real explanation of what the individual components of the " NPZ-8 " (and other) tests are. For example, just what is the " average of z scores for Timed Gait, Grooved Pegboard Dominant hand, Grooved Pegboard Nondominant hand, Trail Making Test Parts A and B, the Digit Symbol subtest from the WAIS-R and the Choice and Sequential Reaction Time trials from the CalCap test battery " ? This is all meaningless to me.

Hi Nick--I'm in one of the longitudinal neurocognitive studies at UCSD's HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center--which conducts most if not all of the tests you mention.  Timed Gait measures how quickly you can walk several metres (the length of a hallway) normally, on your toes, on your heels, and then heel-to-toe (like a sobriety test)

Grooved Pegboard Tests--you are measured on how quickly you can insert a fixed number of grooved pegs into a pegboard with the holes randomly arranged in different configurations--with both your right & left hand.

Trail Making Test--measures how quickly you can connect a series of sequential digits (1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc) randomly arranged on a page.  Part B makes it more difficult by interspersing numbers with letters (1 to A, 2 to B, etc)

Don't recognize the titles of the last two tests, but some other tests used include reading a list of colors (red, blue green) printed in those colors, but not necessarily in the color of the word.  First you read the word regardless of the color, then you read the colors, regardless of what the printed word says.  You're timed on how fast you can do this.  

Another particularly maddening test is to listen to a series of numbers that you're supposed to add one to the next--providing the sum of the last two numbers read.  They increase the speed to the point that no one can keep up and keep providing accurate answers.

I've been doing once a year for over 10 years.  It's a day long battery of tests & exams, as well as a blood draw, urine toxicology (to measure drug use) and a lumbar puncture to get spinal fluid to see if you have HIV in the spinal fluid (and presumably the brain) as well as the penetration of the drugs themselves.  This is the only way they can reliably measure differences in cognitive function over time.  It's also how they've come to find out that most of us have some subclinical (i.e. you can't notice it) changes.  Maybe it's because I'm pushing 50, but I find my memory isn't what it used to be, and recently I find myself transposing letters a lot when I type.  Thank god for spellcheck...

Jeff