The Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) on the differential diagnosis of normal and pathological aging

Abstract

This paper aims at reviewing the literature on the use of Rey’s Verbal Auditory Learning Test (RAVLT) with respect to its potential contribution to the differential diagnosis between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease. We researched articles published in the last ten years, indexed in the databases of PubMed and Lilacs, which were designed to evaluate the use of the RAVLT in the diagnosis of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Thirty-seven
studies were selected according to the methodology outlined. Seventeen items assessed the utility of the RAVLT test in neuropsychological assessment of dementia is usefulness to differentiate AD and normal development and twenty studies investigated the performance of normal elderly on RAVLT or how the factors age, education and gender may influence the performance in the test. We conclude that the RAVLT is an effective tool to assist in the differential diagnosis between normal and pathological aging. It is necessary, however, further studies on regulation of it to evaluate the different dementia syndromes.

Key words: RAVL, normal and pathological aging, Alzheimer’s disease.