The Relationship Between the WRAML Memory Screening and General Memory Indices in a Clinical Population

Abstract

Fifty-one children between the ages of 5 and 16 years referred for outpatient neuropsychological evaluations were administered the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), a standardized battery of memory and learning for children. This test yields four main indices, including a General Memory Index (GMI), which is a composite score of the child's performance across all subtests. A short form, the Memory Screening Index (MSI), composed of the first four WRAML subtests, can also be calculated. For each of the 51 WRAMLs administered, an MSI was calculated and compared to the GMI to evaluate the relationship between the two indices. In this sample, the MSI significantly overestimated the GMI (mean = 5.3 points, range = −8 to +23). The MSI was higher than the GMI in 41 out of 51 cases. In 95% of the sample, the MSI fell within 14 points of the GMI.