ABSTRACT

Background: The Learning Ratio (LR) is a novel learning slope score that has been developed to reduce the inherent competition between the first trial and subsequent trials in traditional learning slopes. Recent findings suggest that LR is sensitive to AD pathology along the AD continuum – more so than the traditional learning calculations that employ raw changes across trials. However, research is still experimental and not yet directly applicable to clinical settings. Consequently, the objective of the current study was to develop demographically-corrected normative data on these LR learning slopes.

Method: The current study examined the influence of age and education on LR scores for the HVLT-R, BVMT-R, and an Aggregated HVLT-R/BVMT-R in 200 cognitively intact adults aged 65 years and older using linear regression.

Results: Age negatively correlated with all LR metrics, and education positively correlated with most. No sex differences were identified. LR values were predicted from age and education, which can be compared to observed LR values and converted into demographically-corrected T scores.

Conclusions: By comparing observed and predicted LR scores calculated from regression-based prediction equations, interpretations are permitted that aid in clinical decision making and treatment planning. Co-norming of the HVLT-R and BVMT-R also allows for comparisons between verbal and visual learning slope scores in individual patients. We hope normative data for LR enhances its utility as a clinical tool for examining learning slopes in older adults administered the HVLT-R and/or BVMT-R.

摘要

背景：学习比率（LR）是一种新颖的学习斜率分数，旨在减少传统学习斜率中首次试验和后续试验之间的固有竞争。最近的研究结果表明，LR 对 AD 连续体上的 AD 病理学很敏感——比在试验中采用原始变化的传统学习计算更敏感。然而，研究仍处于实验阶段，尚未直接应用于临床。因此，当前研究的目标是开发这些 LR 学习斜率的人口校正规范数据。

方法：本研究使用线性回归检验了 200 名 65 岁及以上认知功能完整的成年人中年龄和教育程度对 HVLT-R、BVMT-R 和聚合 HVLT-R/BVMT-R LR 评分的影响。

结果：年龄与所有 LR 指标呈负相关，教育程度与大多数指标呈正相关。没有发现性别差异。LR 值是根据年龄和教育程度预测的，可以与观察到的 LR 值进行比较，并转换为人口统计校正的T分数。

结论：通过比较根据基于回归的预测方程计算出的观察到的 LR 评分和预测的 LR 评分，可以进行有助于临床决策和治疗计划的解释。HVLT-R 和 BVMT-R 的共同规范还可以比较个体患者的言语和视觉学习斜率分数。我们希望 LR 的规范数据能够增强其作为临床工具的实用性，用于检查接受 HVLT-R 和/或 BVMT-R 的老年人的学习斜率。