Digit span and Bisyllabic non-word span: Italian norms.

Abstract

We standardized a new version of the Digit span test and the first version of the Bisyllabic non-word span test, both measuring the phonological loop, in an Italian sample of neurologically healthy adults (n = 225). All stimuli were administered to the participants through a computerized procedure to avoid the influence of the examiner on participants' performance. We used a preliminary test to exclude the presence of sensory-perceptual and articulatory-motor difficulties that might have influenced the results. The results revealed that both Age and Education were significant predictors of participants' performance on the Digit span test. By contrast, only Age predicted significantly participants' performance on the Bisyllabic non-word span test. The average Digit span was approximately twice as large as the average Bisyllabic non-word span, suggesting that the latter might be a strategy-free measure of the phonological loop. The Bisyllabic non-word span is an innovative and specific measure for identifying phonological short-term memory deficits. For all tests, adjusted and equivalent scores are provided to facilitate results interpretation and clinical applicability.