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Applying several objective measures to the detection of malingered memory deficits
Abstracts of II th Annual Meeting
337
For example, in a previous investigation, the authors found that performances on three brief neuropsychological procedures (Tactual Performance Test, Finger Tapping Test, Fingertip Number Writing) were superior to intelligence (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised/Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised) and achievement (Wide Range Achievement TestRevised) testing in identifying brain damage in 15 inner-city children with documented histories of chronic elevated blood lead levels. The current study employed the same investigative approach with 13 male and 13 female, right-handed, inner-city children and adolescents previously diagnosed as lead toxic. Neuropsychological testing again proved superior in identifying central nervous system dysfunction and, additionally, indicated patterns of subcortical and cortical impairment consistent with recent structural and biochemical neuropathology. Thus, procedures in the neuropsychologist’s arsenal can be helpful in detecting central nervous system dysfunction secondary to lead induced encephalopathy. Iverson, G. L. & Franzen, Department of Behavioral University.
M. D. Department of Psychology & Medicine & Psychiatry, West Virginia
Applying Several Objective Measures
to the Detection of Malingered
Memory
Deficits.
Malingering, always an issue in neuropsychological assessment, is receiving increased attention in the literature. A laboratory-based simulation study is one method of examining this construct. The present investigation examined three objective procedures employed for the detection of malingered memory deficits. Twenty college students and twenty psychiatric inpatients completed the procedures under two sets of experimental instructions; normal-control (optimal performance) and experimental-malingering. These groups were compared to twenty patients with documented memory impairment who were given instructions to try their best. A total of six scores were computed on these three tests. Results indicated that when the students and psychiatric subjects were instructed to malinger they performed more poorly than the actual memory impaired patients. The overall effect for experimental group achieved significance for all scores. Planned comparisons revealed better performance for the memory impaired subjects on all the scores when compared to the psychiatric malingerers, and five out of six scores when compared to the student malingerers. A zero false-positive rate (e.g., 100% correct classification for normal-control and memory-impaired subjects) was available for each score. When each of these cutting scores was applied to the experimental malingerers, the correct classification rate for this group varied from 12.5% to 77.5%. Combining all the cutting scores for which there were zero false positives, and using deficient performance on one procedure as the criteria for classification, resulted in a 90% correct classification rate for the experimental-malingerers
338
Abstracts of 11th Annual Meeting
and 95% overall. In other words, all of the normal-control and memoryimpaired subjects were correctly classified, while 4 of the 40 subjects instructed to malinger were not detected on at least one of the scores. Ivnik, R. J., Malec, J. F., & Smith, G. E. Section of Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Normative Data for AVLT Percent Retention as a Function of Age and Original Learning for Persons Above Age 54. Rey’s AVLT was administered to 530 cognitively normal, community dwelling and independently functioning elderly persons (age range = 55-97) who were randomly solicited from the population of Olmsted County, MN, for participation in a normative study after having completed a general medical examination, wherein active psychiatric and neurological diseases that might compromise cognition were excluded. Sample sizes by age were substantial: 41 persons 56-59 years old (y/o); 72, 60-64 y/o; 83, 65-69 y/o; 82, 70-74 y/o; 105,75-79 y/o; 76, 80-84 y/o; 49, 85-89 y/o; 22, > 89 y/o; 200 men; 330 women. Mean (SD) education = 13.1 years (3.0). Age-corrected MAYO (WAIS-R) Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs were 104.8 (10.4), 106.6 (11.5), and 105.8 (10.8). These data have provided the basis for earlier AVLT normative reports; however, those norms have presented the 30-min delay recall only as a function of age. Data tables presented here will give these scores both as a function of age and as a function of AVLT learning level. This information should prove useful for determining if AVLT Trial 6 and 30-min delayed recall scores are “impaired” in relation to the person’s level of learning over the five acquisitions trials. Jackson, W. T., Gouvier, W. D., & Kotler-Cope, S. Louisiana State University. A Recognition Trial for the Tactual Performance Test: Analysis of Construct Validity. In order to study recognition of shapes from the Tactual Performance Test (TPT) and provide evidence for the construct validity of the various TPT measures, a supplemental recognition trial for the TPT memory task was administered to 128 normal subjects between the ages of 20 and 60. In addition, both recall and recognition trials from a modified version of the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) and the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) were administered as hypothetical convergent and discriminant within-subjects measures of memory. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine the effects of age group, type of assessment measure, and type of memory process on test performance using a 4 x 3 x 2 (age group (between) x assessment measure (within) x memory process (within) mixed design. The MANOVA confirmed that subjects performed better on the recognition trials of the TPT, BVRT, and AVLT than on the associated recall tasks. Simultaneous and stepwise regression analysis revealed a significant relation
337
For example, in a previous investigation, the authors found that performances on three brief neuropsychological procedures (Tactual Performance Test, Finger Tapping Test, Fingertip Number Writing) were superior to intelligence (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised/Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised) and achievement (Wide Range Achievement TestRevised) testing in identifying brain damage in 15 inner-city children with documented histories of chronic elevated blood lead levels. The current study employed the same investigative approach with 13 male and 13 female, right-handed, inner-city children and adolescents previously diagnosed as lead toxic. Neuropsychological testing again proved superior in identifying central nervous system dysfunction and, additionally, indicated patterns of subcortical and cortical impairment consistent with recent structural and biochemical neuropathology. Thus, procedures in the neuropsychologist’s arsenal can be helpful in detecting central nervous system dysfunction secondary to lead induced encephalopathy. Iverson, G. L. & Franzen, Department of Behavioral University.
M. D. Department of Psychology & Medicine & Psychiatry, West Virginia
Applying Several Objective Measures
to the Detection of Malingered
Memory
Deficits.
Malingering, always an issue in neuropsychological assessment, is receiving increased attention in the literature. A laboratory-based simulation study is one method of examining this construct. The present investigation examined three objective procedures employed for the detection of malingered memory deficits. Twenty college students and twenty psychiatric inpatients completed the procedures under two sets of experimental instructions; normal-control (optimal performance) and experimental-malingering. These groups were compared to twenty patients with documented memory impairment who were given instructions to try their best. A total of six scores were computed on these three tests. Results indicated that when the students and psychiatric subjects were instructed to malinger they performed more poorly than the actual memory impaired patients. The overall effect for experimental group achieved significance for all scores. Planned comparisons revealed better performance for the memory impaired subjects on all the scores when compared to the psychiatric malingerers, and five out of six scores when compared to the student malingerers. A zero false-positive rate (e.g., 100% correct classification for normal-control and memory-impaired subjects) was available for each score. When each of these cutting scores was applied to the experimental malingerers, the correct classification rate for this group varied from 12.5% to 77.5%. Combining all the cutting scores for which there were zero false positives, and using deficient performance on one procedure as the criteria for classification, resulted in a 90% correct classification rate for the experimental-malingerers
338
Abstracts of 11th Annual Meeting
and 95% overall. In other words, all of the normal-control and memoryimpaired subjects were correctly classified, while 4 of the 40 subjects instructed to malinger were not detected on at least one of the scores. Ivnik, R. J., Malec, J. F., & Smith, G. E. Section of Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Normative Data for AVLT Percent Retention as a Function of Age and Original Learning for Persons Above Age 54. Rey’s AVLT was administered to 530 cognitively normal, community dwelling and independently functioning elderly persons (age range = 55-97) who were randomly solicited from the population of Olmsted County, MN, for participation in a normative study after having completed a general medical examination, wherein active psychiatric and neurological diseases that might compromise cognition were excluded. Sample sizes by age were substantial: 41 persons 56-59 years old (y/o); 72, 60-64 y/o; 83, 65-69 y/o; 82, 70-74 y/o; 105,75-79 y/o; 76, 80-84 y/o; 49, 85-89 y/o; 22, > 89 y/o; 200 men; 330 women. Mean (SD) education = 13.1 years (3.0). Age-corrected MAYO (WAIS-R) Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs were 104.8 (10.4), 106.6 (11.5), and 105.8 (10.8). These data have provided the basis for earlier AVLT normative reports; however, those norms have presented the 30-min delay recall only as a function of age. Data tables presented here will give these scores both as a function of age and as a function of AVLT learning level. This information should prove useful for determining if AVLT Trial 6 and 30-min delayed recall scores are “impaired” in relation to the person’s level of learning over the five acquisitions trials. Jackson, W. T., Gouvier, W. D., & Kotler-Cope, S. Louisiana State University. A Recognition Trial for the Tactual Performance Test: Analysis of Construct Validity. In order to study recognition of shapes from the Tactual Performance Test (TPT) and provide evidence for the construct validity of the various TPT measures, a supplemental recognition trial for the TPT memory task was administered to 128 normal subjects between the ages of 20 and 60. In addition, both recall and recognition trials from a modified version of the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) and the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) were administered as hypothetical convergent and discriminant within-subjects measures of memory. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine the effects of age group, type of assessment measure, and type of memory process on test performance using a 4 x 3 x 2 (age group (between) x assessment measure (within) x memory process (within) mixed design. The MANOVA confirmed that subjects performed better on the recognition trials of the TPT, BVRT, and AVLT than on the associated recall tasks. Simultaneous and stepwise regression analysis revealed a significant relation