Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test

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Medical diagnostic method

Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test
Purpose	neuropsychological test to assess capacity/rate of information processing

Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is a neuropsychological test used to assess capacity and rate of information processing and sustained and divided attention.

Originally the test was known as the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT). The subjects are given in the version used as part of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite a number every 3 seconds and are asked to add the number they just heard with the number they heard before. This is a challenging task that involves working memory, attention and arithmetic capabilities. Versions with numbers presented every 2 seconds are also available. The original version presented the numbers every 2.4 seconds with 0.4 decrements for subsequent trials. The PASAT was originally developed for use in evaluating patients with head injury. The advantage in this population was supposed to be minimal practice effects. This test has been widely used in other conditions besides traumatic brain injury.

Multiple sclerosis

It has become widely used in the testing of patients with multiple sclerosis as patients with this disease frequently have an impaired performance on this test. The PASAT was included in the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite as a cognitive measure. However, the use of the PASAT in clinical trials in MS it has shown to be problematic as there are significant practice effects over repeated measures; typically the effect of treatment is reflected by a larger improvement on the test compared to the control group.

References

Spreen O., Strauss E.: A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests; ²1998; New York, Oxford University press
Gronwall DM. Paced auditory serial-addition task: a measure of recovery from concussion. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1977 Apr;44(2):367–373
Fischer S. et al. (2001) Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, New York; The National Multiple Sclerosis Society http://pasat.us/PDF/MSFC_Manual.pdf seen Oct 26, 2010

v t e Neuropsychological tests
Battery	Cognistat Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery Luria–Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery Montreal Cognitive Assessment Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status
Arousal/Attention	Continuous performance task D2 Test of Attention Four boxes test Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test Morningness–eveningness questionnaire Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test Posner cueing task Test of everyday attention Test of Variables of Attention
Sensation/Perception	Bender-Gestalt Test Benton Visual Retention Test Dot cancellation test Judgment of Line Orientation Navon figure Rey–Osterrieth complex figure
Memory	1-2-AX working memory task California Verbal Learning Test Corsi block-tapping test Digit symbol substitution test Doors and People MCI Screen Wechsler Memory Scale
Language	Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination Boston Naming Test Comprehensive aphasia test Controlled Oral Word Association Test Thurstone Word Fluency Test
Motor	Compensatory tracking task Purdue Pegboard Test
Problem-solving	Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System Hayling and Brixton tests Tower of London test Trail Making Test Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
Sleep	Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Specific impairments	British Columbia Postconcussion Symptom Inventory Clinical Dementia Rating Digit Cancellation Test Disability Rating Scale Florida Cognitive Activities Scale Glasgow Coma Scale Glasgow Outcome Scale Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener Rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire
Intelligence	National Adult Reading Test Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Wechsler Test of Adult Reading Raven's Progressive Matrices
Bed-side	Abbreviated mental test score Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition Mini–mental state examination
Social	Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale
Malingering	Test of Memory Malingering

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