The Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome: An Evaluation of the Time Limits for Older Participants and New Dutch Normative Data

Abstract

The BADS is a widely used neuropsychological test battery with a high ecological validity. However, the current Dutch normative data dates back 30 years and several practical issues have arisen. The aims of this study were twofold: performing an extensive evaluation of the time limits of several BADS subtests, and providing new and improved Dutch normative tables for the BADS. It was hypothesized that older participants would need more time to complete the subtests than younger participants, uncovering the need for separate time limits for different age groups. In total, 121 healthy participants were included in this study and divided equally into four groups: Young Adults, Middle-aged Adults, Older Adults, and Elderly. Elderly generally needed more time than the other groups to complete several of the subtests, reaching statistical significance for the Rule Shift Cards, Action Program, and most Zoo Map time variables. However, the majority of Elderly did not violate the current time limits, making Elderly-specific time limits seem unnecessary. Young Adults completed the subtests remarkably faster and without violations. Thus, perhaps the time limits should be stricter for Young Adults, instead of more lenient for Elderly. The new norms were compared with the current norms, demonstrating several significant higher means for the new data. With two clinical cases it was illustrated that the new normative data provides stricter classifications of performances. Overall, this study indicates the need for more extensive research into the current time limits and new Dutch normative data of the BADS