Imagine you’re taking a test to measure your memory, but instead of using pen and paper, you use an electronic device. That’s exactly what researchers have done with the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) for middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the electronic version of the HVLT-R in this population. The researchers found that the electronic version of the test had good reliability, meaning it consistently produced accurate results, with a Cronbach’s α value of 0.94 and a split-half reliability of 0.96. Validity was also established through concurrent validity, as the electronic test showed moderate correlations with other established memory tests like the Hong Kong Brief Cognitive Test and the Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised. Convergent validity was confirmed as well, demonstrating that the electronic HVLT-R was moderately correlated with the traditional pad and pencil version of the test. Lastly, the electronic test had good discriminant capacity, effectively differentiating individuals with Alzheimer’s disease from healthy participants. These findings suggest that the electronic version of HVLT-R could be a useful tool for assessing memory in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals.

BackgroundThe aging population is increasing, making it essential to have a standardized, convenient, and valid electronic memory test that can be accessed online for older people and caregivers. The electronic version of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) as a test with these advantages and its reliability and validity has not yet been tested. Thus, this study examined the reliability and validity of the electronic version of the HVLT-R in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people to provide a scientific basis for its future dissemination and use.MethodsWe included 1,925 healthy participants aged over 40, among whom 38 were retested after 3–6 months. In addition, 65 participants completed both the pad and paper-and-pencil versions of the HVLT-R (PAP-HVLT-R). We also recruited 42 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, and 45 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients. All participants completed the Pad-HVLT-R, the Hong Kong Brief Cognitive Test (HKBC), the Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), and the Logical Memory Test (LM).Results(1) Reliability: the Cronbach’s α value was 0.94, the split-half reliability was 0.96. The test–retest correlation coefficients were moderate, ranging from 0.38 to 0.65 for direct variables and 0.16 to 0.52 for derived variables; (2) Concurrent validity: the Pad-HVLT-R showed a moderate correlation with the HKBC and BVMT-R, with correlation coefficients between total recall of 0.41 and 0.54, and between long-delayed recall of 0.42 and 0.59, respectively. It also showed a high correlation with the LM, with correlation coefficients of 0.72 for total recall and 0.62 for long-delayed recall; (3) Convergent validity: the Pad-HVLT-R was moderately correlated with the PAP version, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.29 to 0.53 for direct variables and 0.15 to 0.43 for derived variables; (4) Discriminant capacity: the Pad-HVLT-R was effective in differentiating AD patients, as demonstrated by the ROC analysis with AUC values of 0.834 and 0.934 for total recall and long-delayed recall, respectively.Conclusion(1) The electronic version of HVLT-R has good reliability and validity in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people; (2) The electronic version of HVLT-R can be used as an effective tool to distinguish AD patients from healthy people.

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