Validity of some neuropsychological tests in the assessment of mental deterioration

Eighty-three control subjects and 200 patients suspected of diffuse cerebral damage were submitted to the Mental Deterioration Battery. Three independent judges evaluated each patient on the basis of all available data. Only 103 patients, unanimously classed as demented by the three judges were retained. On the basis of controls' performances, the scores obtained by each demented patient in the various tests were corrected for age and educational level. Both single tests and the Battery as a whole discriminated normal controls from demented patients at a very satisfactory level.