CAVE

The Cognitive Assessment by Visual Election (CAVE) is a brief battery of simple cognitive tests designed for people emerging from disorders of consciousness (DoC) or people with profound neurological disabilities. It may be used with people who have limited functional movements and severely impaired or absent speech. It provides a profile of cognitive functions at a basic level. The CAVE compromises six brief cognitive tests. It utilises visual fixation to command as a mode of response. The CAVE relies on minimal verbal instruction in order to elicit a response.

The CAVE was developed at a specialist hospital for people with profound brain injury.

The CAVE provides a way to identify islands of cognitive ability and difficulty in such patients. In brief, the patient is presented with two stimuli and asked to select one names item by visual election (eye pointing). No functional speech or limb movement is required. There are six subtests, (real objects, letters, pictures, numbers, words and colours). The assessment can be carried out at the bedside. Full instructions, standardisation data and associated publications are given in the manual.

The CAVE may be purchased directly from Dr Lesley Murphy & Associates, price £180 plus VAT.

CAVE Test Kit: CAVE scoring form Extended CAVE scoring form Test Manual Box of 10 objects (Ball, Bus, Car, Cup, Comb, Pen, Spoon Fork, Cow, Pig) Five sets of stimulus cards (Numbers, Pictures, Letters, Words, Colours), 20 cards per set. Test Kit bag Tests forms may be photocopied.