RBANS factor structure in older adults with suspected cognitive impairment: Evidence for a 5-factor structure

ABSTRACTPrevious research has yielded minimal empirical support for the theoretically formulated five-factor structure of the RBANS, a brief, yet comprehensive standardized neuropsychological test battery used to assess cognitive impairment. The present study tested the theoretically formulated five-factor structure, as well as three alternative factor solutions, using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic approaches. The present study utilized archival data from a clinical sample of 150 older adults who were evaluated at an outpatient neuropsychological service. A total of four RBANS models were specified using confirmatory factor analysis. Results of the five-factor model demonstrated good to excellent fit following modifications to the model. Results of chi-square difference tests demonstrated that the five-factor model was statistically superior to the two- and three-factor models (p < .001). In summary, results provide support for the theoretically derived five-factor structur...