Asymmetric patterns of relations between performance on six tests of executive function in persons seeking addictions treatment

We examined the extent to which putative tests of executive functions yielded concordant classifications of moderate impairment in persons entering addictions treatment. Participants were 118 men and 79 women ranging in age from 18 to 80 years. The Stroop, FAS, Wisconsin Card Sort, Booklet Category, Trail Making Part B, and Verbal Abstraction Tests were administered. Classification cutoff scores were set at 1.33 SD below the mean of age-stratified normative data. "Impairment" classifications on individual tests were only slightly to moderately concordant (K = .00 to .42). However, logistic regression analyses revealed strong and systematic, yet asymmetric, patterns of relations between impairment classifications from different tests. Results supported a decision tree approach to testing which may be flexibly applied to assess differing patterns of executive deficits.