Short Blessed

Overview

Author(s): Katzman, R., Brown, T., Fuld, P., Peck, A., Schechter, R., & Schimmel, H.

Year of Publication: 1983

Publisher: American Journal of Psychiatry

Type of Assessment: 

• Standardized

• Performance-based

• Criterion-referenced

Cost: Free

How to Access: https://www.sralab.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/somct.pdf 

Age: Adults (18-64), Geriatrics (65+)

Diagnoses: Alzheimer's, Progressive Dementia, Non-specific populations at risk of cognitive decline

Setting: inpatient rehab, acute rehab, home health, SNF, community programs

Areas Assessed:

• Attention

• Working memory

• Cognition

• Executive functioning

• Reasoning

• Problem-solving

Administration

Time: 5-10 mins

Group/Individual: Individual

Subtests: 6 items

Instructions: Clinician reads the following directions to clients: "Now I would like to ask you some questions to check your memory and concentration. Some of the questions may be easy and some of them may be hard, but please try to answer them all."

• Q4- If subject begins to forget task or change instructions, repeat instructions 

• Acceptable responses are available on the administration & scoring guidelines

Materials: evaluation form & pencil

User Qualifications: N/A

Scoring Procedures

How to Score: A sum of all incorrect answers is compiled to determine the areas of need:

• Score of 1 for each error based on the number of errors allowed on each question (eg. Q1 allows 1 error max while Q6 allows 5 errors to be made)

• Normal-Minimum Impairment (within normal limits): 0-8 

• Minimal-Moderate Impairment: 9-19

• Severe Impairment: 20-28

Score Indications:

• Lower scores are within normal limits with minimal impairments

• Higher scores indicate severe impairments

Psychometrics

Reliability: 

• Retesting 3 weeks after the initial assessment resulted in a score within 4 points of the original score

Validity: 

• Construct Validity-Alzheimer's: Adequate

  • Wechsler Memory Scale: Pearson r = - 0.562, p < 0.01

  • Progressive Matrices; Raven PM47: Spearman r = 0.590, p < 0.01

• Criterion Validity - Non-specific Populations: Mixed

  • Excellent - Full Blessed Test: r=0.941

  • Not Significant - Barthel ADL: r=0.23

Sensitivity = 88%

Specificity = 94%

False positive = 11%

False negative = 5%

Pros & Cons

Strengths:

• Quick, easy administration

• Free

• Dose not require additional supplies

• Assesses changes in verbal memory

• Sensitive to dementia symptoms/diagnoses

Weaknesses:

• Scores are related to level of education attainment

• Specificity in African American groups is low; cultural translation can be biased

• May not validate findings with other assessments to provide a sufficient idea of cognitive impairments (this test is not enough)

• No manual - administration can be swayed

References

• Asher, I. E. (2014). Asher’s occupational therapy assessment tools: An annotated index (4th ed.). AOTA Press.

• Katzman, R., Brown, T., Fuld, P., Peck, A., Schechter, R., & Schimmel, H. (1983). Validation of a short orientation-memory concentration test of cognitive impairment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 734-739. 

• Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. (n.d.). Short orientation-memory-concentration test of Cognitive impairment. https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/short-orientation-memory-concentration-test-cognitive-impairment 

• Washington University. (n.d.). Short blessed test. https://regionstrauma.org/blogs/sbt.pdf