An empirical comparison of the Memory Assessment scales (MAS) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) in measuring four memory constructs

Abstracts of 14th Annual Meeting

341

disorder and no advanced complications of diabetes. While the sample had moderate recent long-term metabolic control (mean HbAlc = 8.0 _+ 1.3), 65% of patients had a history of severe hypoglycemic episodes and 52% had a history of severe hyperglycemia. Test scores of the sample were analyzed with reference to normative data. A significant 40-90% of subjects scored in an impaired or low average range on tests of tactile perception/discrimination and fine motor coordination/efficiency. These results are consistent with subclinical peripheral neuropathy. Overall deficits in sustained attention and concentration were also found, which resulted in difficulty maintaining set and errors in visual/auditory recognition and discrimination. Metabolic control (glycosylated hemoglobin) and history of hyperglycemic coma, hospitalization, or ketoacidosis were the disease variables most consistently associated with impaired test scores. Neither age at disease onset nor disease duration were associated with deficits. The results are discussed with reference to chronic physiological and neurological effects of IDDM in adults and the functional significance of cognitive deficits in the management of the disease.

Hilsabeck, R. C., & Dunn, J. T. An Empirical Comparison of the Memory Assessment Scales (MAS) and the Wechsler Memory Sc'ale-Revised (WMS-R) in Measuring Four Memory Constructs. The most widely used, researched, and criticized memory battery is the Wechsler M e m o r y S c a l e - R e v i s e d ( W M S - R ) . Recently, the M e m o r y Assessment Scales (MAS) was developed to address some of the criticisms of the WMS-R. The MAS purports to assess short-term memory, verbal memory, visual memory, and global memory, four constructs reportedly measured by the WMS-R, although short-term memory is referred to as attention/concentration on the WMS-R. In his review of both tests, Zielinski (1993) comments on the need for direct comparison studies of the WMS-R and the MAS with varied populations. Because both the WMS-R and the MAS claim to measure similar memory constructs, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparability of individuals' performance on both the WMS-R and the MAS. Subjects were 11 females and 10 males (n = 21) seen for a comprehensive forensic neuropsychological evaluation. All subjects reported experiencing cognitive deficits as a result of a traumatic brain injury (i.e., blow to the head or toxic exposure). All subjects were administered the WMS-R and the MAS on the same day except for one subject who was administered the WMS-R and the MAS 1 week apart. Administration of the WMS-R and the MAS was counterbalanced, t-tests were performed to compare mean standard scores on the four memory constructs. Significant differences were found between MAS global memory and WMS-R general memory, and between MAS visual memory and WMS-R visual memory. The difference between MAS short-term memory and WMS-R attention/concentration approached significance.

342

Abstracts of 14th Annual Meeting

Overall, the MAS yielded lower standard scores on the four memory constructs than the WMS-R.

Ho, M. R., & Bennett, T. L. Efficacy of a Holistic Program of Cognitive Rehabilitation Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. The growing literature on cognitive rehabilitation requires increased evaluation of its effectiveness. The current research addressed criticisms of previous efficacy studies and provided support for the effectiveness of a cognitive rehabilitation program that included both formal cognitive retraining and compensatory training. Effectiveness was evaluated by pre- versus post-rehabilitation comparisons of selected neuropsychological test performance scores from an expanded Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery and activities of daily living scales. Stringent subject selection criterion were employed to maximize the validity of comparisons (median injury-to-rehabilitation interval = 7 months; median pre- to post-rehabilitation evaluation interval = 37 weeks). Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks tests confirmed improvement in performance on all measures following cognitive rehabilitation (p < .05). The results also suggested that traditional neuropsychological tests and existing behavioral scales may be insensitive to residual cognitive dysfunction associated with mild TBI due to the use of compensatory strategies. Holliday, S. L., & Grosskopf, L. G. CT-Documented Multi-Focal Lesions in a Case of Reduplicative Paramnesia. First described by Pick in 1903, reduplicative paramnesia (RP) is a rare neurobehavioral syndrome in which the patient is disoriented only to place and asserts the presence of two or more identical locations, where only one exists in reality. It has been classically described by Bentson et al. and Patterson and Mack in patients recovering from severe head injury and right hemisphere CVAs. Our case is a 62-year-old, alcohol-abusing retired attorney who presented with headaches, "poor eyesight," mild confusion, and left-sided weakness after hitting his head on the bedside table about 1 month prior to admission. CT demonstrated a large right parieto-occipital hyperdensity diagnosed as a hemorrhagic CVA. Smaller, more chronic lesions were noted in right frontal and thalamic regions. Pre-morbid CTs were available and showed only generalized atrophy without CVAs. EEG showed focal slowing over the right temporal lobe with decreased photic driving in the right occipital region. On admission to the rehabilitation unit, the patient reported he had been treated at "five different Audie Murphy VA hospitals" ranging in location from central Mexico to Key West, FL. Although fully alert and oriented to person, date, and his medical condition, he consistently held that the Audie Murphy VA Hospital (in San Antonio, TX) was located in Mexico (where he lived at the time of his CVA). He also mistook hospital staff for old friends, suggesting they "must have