Factor Structure of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status in Huntington's Disease.

Abstract

Objective: The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status is a commonly used neuropsychological screening tool that is useful in a Huntington's disease (HD) population given its relatively brief administration time and assessment of multiple cognitive domains. Although 5 index scores are calculated, this structure has not been universally supported in clinical samples, which have often found a two- and three-factor structure to be better fitting. This study explored the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status factor structure in a large HD sample, which has not been done to date.

Method: In total, 147 individuals with HD completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to explore the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status factor structure.

Results: Consistent with the findings from a majority of other clinical samples investigated, our results revealed a better fitting two-factor structure (verbal and visual).

Conclusion: The traditional Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status index structure may not be valid in HD, which yields important clinical and research implications.