CorsiBlockTappingTest

The Corsi Block-Tapping Test is a neuropsychological assessment of visuospatial working memory. It uses a board with nine blocks arranged in a roughly square pattern. The task is to observe and reproduce sequences of taps that the examiner makes on the blocks, either in the same order or in reverse.

In the standard forward version, the participant taps the blocks in the same order as demonstrated; in the backward version, they reverse the sequence. The sequences start short and increase in length until the participant fails to reproduce them correctly. The primary outcome is the maximum sequence length correctly recalled, referred to as the Corsi span.

The test has two widely used variants: forward (simple visuospatial short-term memory) and backward (working memory requiring mental manipulation). Some protocols report 'total correct' or percent accuracy across trials. Computerized versions automate sequence presentation and scoring.

Applications include assessment of developmental disorders, aging, dementia, head injury, and neurological disease. It provides information about visuospatial memory independent of verbal abilities. Normative data exist for different age groups, enabling comparisons; however, results can be influenced by education, motor ability, and familiarity with the testing format.

Psychometric properties report moderate test-retest reliability and convergent validity with other working memory measures and spatial tasks. Limitations include practice effects, cross-cultural differences, and variability in administration protocols across clinics.