Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed (SWAPS): A new brief test with demographically-corrected norms in an ethnically and educationally diverse population. Issue 8 (17th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cullum, C. Munro; Galusha, Jeanine M.; Wadsworth, Hannah E.; Wilmoth, Kristin; Hynan, Linda S.; Lacritz, Laura H.; LoBue, Christian; Argueta-Ortiz, Francisco
• Is Part Of: Clinical neuropsychologist. Volume 36:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: 2260
• Page End: 2277
• Publication Date: 2022-11-17
• Subjects: Processing speed -- neuropsychological testing -- normal aging -- dementia -- T-score norms -- demographically-corrected norms -- norms calculator; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; 612.805
• DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1970229
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1385-4046

Abstract

Abstract: Objective . Neuropsychological measures of processing speed have long been used as sensitive indices of cognitive functioning. Most of these commonly used tests are proprietary, and there is a need for brief, freely available tools that can be used in diverse clinical and research settings. The Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed (SWAPS) is a 60-second digit-symbol transcription task developed as a brief alternative to commercially available coding tests. Demographically-corrected normative data are presented along with reliability and sensitivity/specificity values in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Method . SWAPS data from 915 healthy aging individuals (NC) and 858 subjects with clinical diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 430) and Alzheimer's disease clinical syndrome (ADCS; n = 428) were obtained from the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). TARCC participants represent ethnically and educationally diverse community-dwelling individuals age 50+. Results . SWAPS scores showed the expected associations with age, sex, and education, and the interaction between age and education were significant predictors of SWAPS scores. Test-retest reliability in NC was good, and the SWAPS distinguished impaired and non-impaired groups with adequate to excellent sensitivity and specificity for the primary analyses, with optimal cut-off points provided. Raw score- to uncorrected normalized T-scores and demographically-corrected SWAPS T-scores using regression-based norms are presented along with scoring programs for the calculation of each. Conclusions . The SWAPS is a brief, free, easily administered test with demographically-corrected regression-based norms and promising utility for detection of cognitive impairment and efficient assessment of processing speed.