What Does the Austin Maze Measure?

Abstract

The Austin Maze is a version of a popular neuropsychological test which is employed, internationally, as a measure of spatial memory. However, in Australia, failure to attain errorless performance within a limited number of trials on the Maze is often interpreted as evidence of frontal lobe dysfunction. Such a result might then be used to make predictions about a client's potential for rehabilitation or a successful return to work. Moreover, a close reading of the way in which test signs have been used to infer frontal lobe dysfunction shows that test interpretation has changed over the years. The various “frontal” formulations are reviewed in an attempt to resolve some of the ambiguity in i..