ABSTRACT

Objective

The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) is a battery of tests designed to measure executive functions (EF). Additionally, the D-KEFS contains lower-order tasks, designed to control for speed of visual scanning, sequencing, and verbal and graphomotor output. The construct and criterion validities of D-KEFS scores that are time-based are well established. However, the constructs measured by the D-KEFS error scores are poorly understood, making clinical interpretations of such scores difficult. This study examined the construct validity of D-KEFS errors committed on EF tasks and tasks designed to measure lower-order processes (i.e., non-EF tasks), across the adult lifespan.

Method

Participants were 427 adults (18–93 years) who completed the timed subtests of the D-KEFS. Four hundred two participants also completed the Push-Turn-Taptap (PTT; a separate measure of EF) to allow cross-validation.

Results

General linear regressions showed that D-KEFS errors committed on the EF tests were associated with EF timed performance (assessed using the D-KEFS time-based scores and the PTT), but only among older adults. Importantly, errors committed on the D-KEFS tasks of lower-order processes were also associated with D-KEFS time-based EF performance, and this relationship held across the adult lifespan.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that among older adults EF errors on the D-KEFS can be interpreted as indices of EF, but such interpretations are not automatically warranted for younger adults. Additionally, errors committed on non-EF tasks contained within the D-KEFS battery can be interpreted as reflecting EF weaknesses across the adult lifespan.

中文翻译：

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在Delis-Kaplan执行功能系统（D-KEFS）电池的定时子测试中解释执行和低阶错误评分：整个成年人寿命的错误分析

摘要

目的

Delis-Kaplan执行功能系统（D-KEFS）是一系列旨在测量执行功能（EF）的测试。此外，D-KEFS包含低阶任务，旨在控制视觉扫描，排序以及口头和绘图运动输出的速度。基于时间的D-KEFS评分的结构和标准有效性已得到很好的建立。然而，对由D-KEFS错误评分测量的构建体知之甚少，使得对此类评分的临床解释变得困难。这项研究检查了在成人寿命中，EF任务和旨在测量低阶过程的任务（即非EF任务）上犯下的D-KEFS错误的构造效度。

方法

参加者是427名成年人（18-93岁），他们完成了D-KEFS的定时子测试。402名参与者还完成了Push-Turn-Taptap（PTT；一种单独的EF度量），可以进行交叉验证。

结果

总体线性回归表明，在EF测试中犯下的D-KEFS错误与EF定时性能（使用基于D-KEFS的基于时间的得分和PTT进行评估）相关，但仅限于成年人。重要的是，在低阶流程的D-KEFS任务上犯下的错误也与D-KEFS基于时间的EF性能相关联，并且这种关系在整个成人寿命中都存在。

结论

这些发现表明，在老年人中，D-KEFS上的EF错误可以解释为EF的指标，但是对于年轻人来说，这种解释并不能自动得到保证。此外，D-KEFS电池中包含的非EF任务所犯的错误可以解释为反映了成人寿命中的EF弱点。