Rey-Osterrieth complex figure: Psychometric characteristics in a geriatric sample

We studied the psychometric characteristics of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) in an aged sample. One hundred and seven healthy white males and females, 50 to 79 years of age, received the ROCF and Taylor Complex Figure (TCF) as well as a screening battery of neuropsychological tests. Interrater, alternate form, test-retest, and internal consistency reliability were adequate to good for recall trials of the ROCF, with the copy trial generally lower in reliability. Validity procedures confirmed the sensitivity of the ROCF to Alzheimer's Disease, while factor analysis suggested that the ROCF loaded on a visuospatial perceptual/memory dimension. ROCF scores were significantly correlated with age and years of education, although not with sex. These results are generally supportive of the psychometric quality of the ROCF in an elderly sample. Once adequate normative data become available, the ROCF should prove a useful tool for clinicians in assessing elderly patients.