The Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) is a measure of attention and orientation, especially to see if a patient has recovered from
post-traumatic amnesia
Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a state of mental confusion, confusion that occurs immediately following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which the injured person is Orientation (mental), disoriented and unable to remember events that occur after ...
(PTA) after a
traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...
.
This was the first measure created to test post-traumatic amnesia, and is still the most widely used test.
The test was created by Harvey S. Levin and colleagues (1979), and features ten questions that assess temporal and spatial orientation, biographical recall, and memory.
Points are awarded for responses to each question, with a 100 points possible. A score greater than 78 for three consecutive days is considered the threshold for emergence from post-traumatic amnesia.
This test is intended for patients aged 15 years or older. Younger patients are given a modified version of the test, known as the Children's Orientation and Attention Test (COAT).
The scores on this test have been found to relate to both the
Glasgow Coma Scale
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a clinical scale used to reliably measure a person's level of consciousness after a brain injury.
The GCS assesses a person based on their ability to perform eye movements, speak, and move their body. These th ...
and the
Glasgow Outcome Scale.
Modified versions
MOAT
A modified version of this test, known as MOAT or Modified GOAT, is a similar questionnaire that assesses memory, orientation, and attention. This modified version has multiple choice options for those who have
expressive-language difficulties or who are intubated. Here, a score of greater than 60 for two consecutive days is considered emergence from PTA.
COAT
The Children's Orientation and Attention Test (COAT) is a pediatric version of the test for ages 3–15.
This test assesses orientation by asking the child or adolescent to give their first and last names, their parents' names, and to identify their current location.
References
External links
Free online Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) calculator
Neuropsychological tests
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