23 Oral Symbol Digit Modalities

Attachment 23
Oral Symbol Digit Modalities Test

OMB: 0925-XXXX
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Name of test: Oral Symbol Digit Modalities Test (ages 8-85 years)
Estimated time burden: 2 ½ minutes
Estimated number of items: As many as possible in 2 minutes (up to 144)1
Materials:
Laptop computer
Scoring Sheet (for examiner)
Description:
In this measure of processing speed, the participant will be given 120 seconds
to orally match symbols with digits as quickly as possible. The key
(specifying which symbols are assigned to which numbers) will be located
at the top of a computer screen.
The examiner will record the
participant’s responses directly on the computer screen or on a separate
answer sheet. If the latter is used, the participant’s responses will be
entered into the computer by the examiner.
Administration Instructions:

Practice items:
The examiner hands the participant the practice form or points to the computer
screen and says: “Please look at the symbols at the top of the screen.
Each symbol is paired with a number” (the examiner points to the pairs
and shows how they are arranged across the row).
The examiner continues: “Now look here” (the examiner points to the row of
symbols without numbers). “Here, there are symbols but no numbers. I
would like you to tell me the number that goes with each symbol like this:
You see this symbol (e.g., “O”), it is matched with the number 6 (the
examiner points to the key), so you would say or tell me “6”; this next
symbol (the examiner points to the “X”), is paired with an eight (point), so
you would say or tell me “8”. Does this make sense? Now you try the rest
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 1/2 hours per response, including
the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions
for reducing this burden to: NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD
20892-7974, ATTN: PRA (0925-xxxx*) EXP: (xx/xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

OMB: 0925-XXXX
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX
of the row for practice. Remember to say each number out loud so that I
can hear you.”
The examiner should provide feedback after each response, indicating whether
the response is correct with “That’s right” or correcting the response when
it is wrong.
After the participant has completed the practice row, say: “Good. Now that
you know how to do this, I am going to ask you to do some more.”
Test items:
The examiner should point to the computer screen or hand the participant the
laminated response form and say: “When I tell you to start I want you to
do the rest of these the same way. I want you to work as quickly as you
can without skipping any of the boxes or making mistakes. When you are
finished with the first row (the examiner points), move on to the next one
(the examiner points). Continue until the screen goes blank. If you make
a mistake, just tell me the correct answer and keep going. Ready?”
The examiner should start the on-screen timer as he/she says: “Begin”.
The examiner should strike through the items on which the participant makes
errors. The timer will go off after two minutes.
The examiner says to the participant: “We’re now finished with that activity”.
Before going on to the next task, the examiner should score the
participant’s performance and enter the score into the computer.
The score is obtained by subtracting the number of errors from the
number of items completed in 2 minutes.

OMB: 0925-XXXX
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX
Excerpt from screen (for participant):

−

X

^ O =

^

= X −

U X O

X

^

U X

− =

^ O U = −

− ^ X

−

X U O

^ O

U O

^

= O

−

U O

=

= ^ U −

X

− ^