Short term stability of verbal memory impairment in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease measured using the International Shopping List Test

There is a need for culture neutral neuropsychological instruments. The International Shopping List Test (ISLT) is sensitive to memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in different cultural groups, although its sensitivity to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and ability to be given repeatedly at short retest intervals is unknown. Performance on the ISLT was compared between groups of healthy adults, MCI, and AD from the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle study of ageing. Subjects were assessed four times in three months. In each group, the ISLT performance measures had high test-retest reliability, and group means remained stable over time. There was no difference between groups on within-subject variability. These data suggest that in English-speaking samples, the ISLT is sensitive to MCI and can be given repeatedly in order to assess change in memory.