The Temporal Memory Sequence Test (TMST) in children: Validity test performance in clinically referred children

N. Gur, O. Hegedish, D. Hoofien, T. Pilowsky Peleg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Validity evaluation is fundamental in neuropsychological assessment in adults, with increasing interest among pediatric neuropsychologists. Although some measures exist, given time constraints placed on clinicians, and children’s limited sustained attention, development of less time-consuming measures is beneficial. We explored the use of the Temporal Memory Sequence Test (TMST), a new performance validity test, in clinically referred children. One minor adaptation included reading the instructions and labels to non-fluent readers. Participants were 68 consecutive clinically referred children and adolescents, aged 6–18 years, with neurological (n = 46) or behavioral (n = 22) difficulties. Applying the adult cutoff, 83.8% passed the TMST. Age, gender, and diagnosis did not differ between children passing the TMST cutoff and those who failed it. Classification accuracy calculated against three embedded measures of performance validity (Wechsler scale Digit Span, Coding, and Processing Speed Index) indicated specificity over 90% (Digit Span: 94%, Coding: 96%, Processing Speed Index: 92%) and sensitivity between 30 and 33%. For individuals without Intellectual Disability (ID), 90.9% passed the TMST, and intelligence did not predict success. Thus, the use of the TMST with the adult cutoff was supported in children without ID, offering an additional validity measure for clinically referred children.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-16
Number of pages8
JournalApplied Neuropsychology: Child
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

  • Children
  • intellectual disability
  • neuropsychological assessment
  • performance validity test
  • validity evaluation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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