HSE neurolinguists create russian adaptation of classic verbal memory test

Researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain and Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 Named after N.A. Alexeev have developed a Russian-language adaptation of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. This classic neuropsychological test evaluates various aspects of auditory verbal memory in adults and is widely used in both clinical diagnostics and research. The study findings have been published in The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

Memory plays a crucial role in our lives and is often negatively affected by various conditions, ranging from stroke to dementia. Clinicians need reliable, well-established tools to accurately assess this function in patients. One such method is the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), developed by Swiss psychologist André Rey in the mid-20th century. This test, used to assess the ability to learn and retain auditory information, has been adapted into numerous languages, including Norwegian, Greek, and Arabic. However, until recently, there was no Russian-language version suitable for all ages, except a version for young adults released a year ago.

A team of researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain and Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 Named after N.A. Alexeev have developed a Russian-language adaptation of the RAVLT universally suitable for testing adults of all ages.

The specialists developed three alternative word lists for memorisation, considering factors such as word length and word usage frequency. Having multiple word lists makes it possible to administer the test repeatedly without the risk of patients remembering words from previous sessions. The Russian-language version of the test has been incorporated into the RAVLT World tablet application, with automated administration and scoring. A paper-and-pencil version of the test is available for those who prefer traditional methods.

Svetlana Malyutina

'We hope that the Russian-language adaptation of the test will be widely used by clinicians to assess memory in various patient groups, including elderly persons with suspected neurodegenerative diseases, adults after a stroke, and those with epilepsy,' says Svetlana Malyutina, Deputy Director of the HSE Centre for Language and Brain. 'The test materials are currently available in a paper-and-pencil format, and in 2025, a new RAVLT World tablet application will be launched on RuStore.'

To implement the test in clinical practice, accurate data are needed to determine when a subject's performance is considered normal and when it indicates impairment. To achieve this, the researchers tested 354 neurologically healthy Russian-speaking volunteers aged 21 to 89. The results helped establish performance norms for populations varying in age, gender, and years of education. It was found that although older individuals tend to remember fewer words than younger ones, their patterns of learning and forgetting are similar. In the future, the researchers plan to compare age-related effects in healthy aging and cognitive impairment.

Victor Savilov

‘It is important that the assessment of test performance considers the level of education,' explains Victor Savilov, Head of the Memory Clinic Rehabilitation Department at Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 Named after N.A. Alexeev. 'This approach accounts for the impact of education on cognitive functions, allowing for detection of cognitive impairments with greater sensitivity.'

In addition, the researchers adapted the RAVLT for children and collected a large database of test performance by children aged 5 to 18. The release of the children's version of the test, planned for 2025, will be an important step in diagnosing cognitive impairments in the paediatric population.