Predicting Neuropsychological Test Performance on the Basis of Temporal Orientation

Temporal orientation is often disrupted in the context of psychiatric or neurological disease; tests assessing this function are included in most mental status examinations. The present study examined the relationship between scores on the Temporal Orientation Scale (TOS) and performance on a battery of tests that assess memory, language, and cognitive functioning in a sample of patients with Alzheimer's disease (N = 55). Pearson-product moment correlations showed that, in all but two instances, the TOS was significantly correlated with each neuropsychological measure, p values <= .05. Also, severely disoriented (i.e., TOS score <= -8) patients were consistently 'impaired' on memory tests but not on tests of language and general cognitive functioning.