Protocol - Working Memory - Adult
- Broad Psychopathology - Adult
- Broad Psychopathology - Child
- Cognitive Flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort) - Children, Adolescents, and Adults
- Cognitive Flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort) - Young Children
- Decision Making (Iowa Gambling Task) - Adult
- Decision Making (Iowa Gambling Task) - Child
- Executive Function - Direct Assessment - Adolescent
- Executive Function - Direct Assessment - Adult
- Executive Function - Questionnaire - Adult
- Executive Function - Questionnaire - Children
- Executive Function - Questionnaire - Preschool Children
- Global Mental Status Screener - Adult
- Global Mental Status Screener - Child
- Global Mental Status Screener - Older Children and Adolescents
- Inhibitory Control (Stop Signal Paradigm)
- Intelligence Scale - 16 to 90 years
- Intelligence Scale - 2 years, 6 months to 7 years, 7 months
- Intelligence Scale - 6 to 16 years 11 months
- Intelligence Scale - Birth to 3.5 years
- Motor and Attentional Impulsivity (Immediate and Delayed Memory Task)
- Nonverbal Reasoning
- Response Inhibition (Go/NoGo Task)
- Spatial Reasoning - Adolescents and Adults
- Sustained and Selective Attention
- Verbal Memory - Adult
- Verbal Memory - Child
- Visual Memory - Adult
- Visual Memory - Child
Description
Digit Span is an interviewer-administered test that is part of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®, Fourth Edition (WAIS®-IV). The examiner reads the respondent a series of number sequences and then asks the respondent to repeat the numbers back in forward and in reverse order. The protocol also includes detailed scoring instructions.
Specific Instructions
Digit Span is a proprietary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®, Fourth Edition (WAIS®-IV). Each WAIS-IV subtest is a part of a complete WAIS-IV assessment and is not sold separately. To administer a subtest requires a licensing agreement from Pearson. Researchers should complete and return an application to pas.licensing@pearson.com. The current fee for each subtest use is $1.25 each-subject to a minimum license fee.
Availability
Protocol
The Digit Span Test contains two portions. In the first portion, Digit Span (Forward), the examiner reads the respondent 14 number sequences that range from 3 to 9 digits in length one at a time and then asks the respondent to repeat the sequence in the same order.
In the second portion, Digit Span (Backward), the examiner reads the respondent 14 different number sequences that range from 3 to 8 digits in length one at a time and then asks the respondent to repeat the sequence in reverse order.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Copyright © 2008 NCS Pearson, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale® and WAIS®-IV are registered trademarks of NCS Pearson, Inc.
Personnel and Training Required
Personnel should be trained by a licensed neuropsychologist or other trained medical professional experienced with the Digit Span Test. Additionally, investigators are encouraged to have quality control procedures (such as videotaping sessions, etc.) in place to maintain consistency across examiners.
Equipment Needs
The interviewer will need a copy of the test that includes the cue cards with the sequence of digits and the scoring instructions.
Requirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | No |
Mode of Administration
Performance-based task
Lifestage
Adolescent, Adult, Senior
Participants
Individuals aged 16-90 years old.
Selection Rationale
The Digit Span Test was selected because it is a widely used, validated protocol that requires less time to administer than similar instruments.
Language
Chinese, English
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) | Working memory proto | 62776-0 | LOINC |
| Human Phenotype Ontology | Memory impairment | HP:0002354 | HPO |
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
Expert Review Panel 4 (ERP 4) reviewed the measures in the Neurology, Psychiatric, and Psychosocial domains.
Guidance from ERP 4 included the following:
· No changes
Protocol Name from Source
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®, Digit Span subtest, Fourth Edition (WAIS®-IV)
Source
David Wechsler. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Pearson Education, Inc. 2008.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®, Fourth Edition (WAIS®-IV) is a proprietary instrument and can be obtained through:
Pearson
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 599700
San Antonio, TX 78259
Telephone: 800.627.7271
Email: clinicalcustomersupport@pearson.com
General References
Benson, N., Hulac, D., & Kranzler, J. (2010). Independent examination of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV): What does the WAIS-IV measure? Psychological Assessment, 22(1), 121-130.
Canivez, G. L. & Watkins, M. (2010). Investigation of the factor structure of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV): Exploratory and higher order factor analyses. Psychological Assessment, 22(4), 827-836.
Lichtenberger, E. O., & Kaufman, A. S. (2009). Essentials of WAIS-IV assessment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
Protocol ID
131001
Variables
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PX131001000000 | Protocol 131001 - proprietary. Check DCW for more | N/A | ||
Measure Name
Working Memory
Release Date
May 12, 2010
Definition
An interviewer-administered test that measures the ability of the respondent to process and retrieve information associated with short-term memory.
Purpose
This measure tests a respondent’s total range of function with respect to working memory. It is therefore more specific and sensitive than a measure of global mental status and can be used to assess major problems in working memory as well as minor variations that may be a consequence of normal development and aging.
Keywords
Neurology, sickle cell disease, SCD, cognition, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, proprietary, gerontology, aging, geriatrics
Measure Protocols
| Protocol ID | Protocol Name |
|---|---|
| 131001 | Working Memory - Adult |
| 131002 | Working Memory - Child |
Publications
Sapkota, B. R., et al. (2016) Genome-wide association study of 25(OH) Vitamin D concentrations in Punjabi Sikhs: Results of the Asian Indian diabetic heart study. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2016 April; 158: 149-156. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.12.014