Effects of age and education on neuropsychological test performance: A comparison of normal versus cognitively impaired geriatric medical patients

The effects of age and education on neuropsychological test performance were examined in samples of cognitively intact (n = 51) and demented (n = 99) geriatric inpatients. Using Fisher's r to z procedure, no between sample differences for correlations were found, except for the relationship between Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory IT performance and age (z = 1.68; p <.05). These results are discrepant with those of previous studies that question the validity of demographically based score corrections for younger patients with neurological disease (e.g., Reitan & Wolfson, 1995). The authors advocate the consideration of demographic influences on neuropsychological test performance, particularly when evaluating older, less educated persons.