Comparison of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised to the California Verbal Learning Test in Alzheimer's disease

We examined the validity of the revised Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT-R) by comparing performances on the HVLT-R and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) in participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Total learning, delayed recall, intrusion errors, and recognition performance were significantly related across tests, but the number of perseverative responses showed no linear association. Despite similar results across measures, some of the variables were only modestly correlated, which may reflect differences in test procedures and the limited range of scores for some variables. Furthermore, the HVLT-R may not be challenging enough to elicit some of the types of recall errors commonly seen in AD to the same extent as the CVLT. Nonetheless, the HVLT-R shows promise for providing a multidimensional assessment of verbal learning and memory and may be ideal in cases where brief assessment of memory and/or serial evaluations are needed.