Effort test performance in an NHS acquired brain injury sample
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effort test performance in an NHS acquired brain injury sample
IRAS ID
170258
Contact name
John King
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Neuropsychological assessments are not valid if the examinee does not try hard (exert maximum effort) on the component tests. Little research exists looking at the issue of effort in non-litigating clinical populations. Clinical observation alone has been shown to be an unreliable method of discriminating which examinees are exerting adequate effort in assessments. As such, measures which are sensitive to distortions in motivation ('effort tests') should be incorporated into assessments to inform clinician judgements of performance validity. The aim of the present study is to investigate the base rate (prevalence) of failure on two or more effort tests in a UK NHS acquired brain injury sample. A secondary aim is to explore if there are differences between individuals who pass versus those who fail effort testing in terms of their performance on general neuropsychological testing (e.g. on IQ measures, memory tests and tests of executive function). Establishing this finding in an NHS sample would further support the relevance of routine effort testing in UK clinical settings as a means of capturing a non-neurological dimension of performance.
The study with be conducted at Homerton University Hospital and St George’s Hospital in London. Patients requiring neuropsychological assessment will be asked to consent for their neuropsychological assessment data (cognitive test scores plus demographic information such as age and diagnosis) to be used for research purposes. Patients being treated within these services will also be able to 'opt-in' to the research. Assessments will comprise a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment battery with the addition of effort measures. Participants will not be compensated for taking part in the study.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1376
Date of REC Opinion
18 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion