Using non-verbal tests to measure cognitive ability in patients with aphasia: A comparison of the RCPM and the TONI

Abstract

guage-free test of cognitive function is needed for aphasic patients. We hypothesized that The Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence (TONI; Brown, Sherbenou, & Johnsen, 1997), a highly reliable and valid measure of problem solving that utilizes abstract and figural content, might be such a test. Many of the items are similar to those seen in the RCPM, although there are several differences between the two tests. The TONI was specifically designed to be non-verbal; directions are given nonverbally, and item choices are not numbered as in the RCPM. Additionally, the TONI has more items, increased complexity and abstractness within the items, and a wider range of difficulty. We initially became interested in the comparison of the two tests when we noticed a disparity between performance on the TONI and RCPM that seemed to be related to repetition ability. Two patients in our studies with conduction aphasia and severe repetition deficits scored in the normal range on the TONI, but were impaired on the RCPM. Two additional patients with no repetition deficits who also scored in the normal range on the TONI received perfect scores on the RCPM. The purpose of this study was to determine whether scores on the TONI are less affected by language deficits than scores on the RCPM. If so, the TONI may provide a better assessment of cognitive abilities in patients with aphasia.