Reliability and validity of the neuropsychological assessment battery-screening module (NAB-SM) in a sample of patients with moderate-to-severe acquired brain injury

The Screening module from the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB-SM; Stern White, 2003) is a comprehensive cognitive screening measure that assesses five domains (Attention, Language, Memory, Spatial, and Executive Functions). The construct validity of the NAB-SM in comparison to established neuropsychological (NP) measures in individuals with moderate-to-severe brain injury has yet to be investigated. Participants were 42 individuals with acquired brain injury admitted to a post-acute residential rehabilitation program. The NAB-SM cognitive domain index scores demonstrated weak internal consistency, whereas internal consistency for the NAB-SM total index score was satisfactory. In demonstrating construct validity, the NAB-SM cognitive domain index scores and individual subtest scores maintained several significant relationships with other NP tests that shared test structure and content or not. These relationships were limited or absent for the NAB-SM Executive Functions subtests and the NAB-SM Shape Learning subtest. Our findings provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the NAB-SM in a sample of patients with moderate-to-severe brain injury.