Relationship of age and education to performance on a standardized version of Luria's neuropsychological tests in different patient populations.

A.R. Luria, a Russian neuropsychologist, developed many qualitative bedside tests that have been effective in the diagnosis and localization of neurological disorders. Recently, a standardized and objectively-scored version of Luria's tests has been developed. Knowledge of the effects of patient age and education on neuro-psychological test performance has been found crucial in the neurodiagnostic decision-making process. The present study examined the effects of patient age(younger subjects between 20 and 40 years and older subjects between 50 and 70 years of age), education (grade school, high school, and post-high school), and diagnosis (normal, schizophrenic, brain damaged) on 14 standardized Luria measures. A weighted means analysis of variance found 11 significant age effects, 14 significant educational effects, and 14 significant effects diagnosis. One significant interaction was found between education and diagnosis, the results support the contention that with appropriate age and educational corrections, the standardized Luria battery would satisfy the need for a short, objectively scored, and diagnostically effective neuropsychological battery.