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Changes in visuospatial functioning with normal aging
Abstractsof 11th AnnualMeeting
339
between age and memory performance on both recall and recognition trials of the TPT and BVRT, with older subjects performing more poorly; however, age did not significantly predict performance on the AVLT. Analysis of correlations between hypothesized convergent and discriminant measures of ability failed to provide evidence for the construct validity of TPT memory measures. Implications for further use of the newly developed TF’T recognition trial with a clinical population are discussed in hopes that future findings may support the criterion-related validity of the TFT memory scores.
Johnson, D. J. & Hartlage, L. C. HCA Palmyra Rehabilitation Hospital and Independent Practice. Implications of Premorbid Cognitive Style for CVA Rehabilitation. Although cerebrovascular accidents constitute an important facet of neuropsychological research and treatment, there has been little research into premorbid cognitive style of CVA patients, in spite of the fact that such research can have important implications for both developing realistic outcome expectations and for treatment programming. For example, if an individual has a strongly left hemisphere lateralized pre-CVA processing style, and sustains a right hemisphere CVA, the treatment can be based on utilization of the preferred cognitive processing style, making remediation fairly straightforward and prognosis comparatively optimistic. On the other hand, CVA compromise of pre-CVA cerebral hemisphere subserving primary cognitive style requires having the patient reorder his or her principal mode of information processing, thus requiring considerably greater demands on the patient and accordingly lowering the comparative target rate for recovery. This study assessed preCVA cognitive style in equal numbers (10) of right and left hemisphere CVA patients who were admitted for assessment and ongoing treatment/follow-up. There was no consistent relationship between pre-CVA cognitive style and hemispheric lateralization of CVA. Preliminary follow-up data suggest that, as anticipated, the pre-CVA cognitive style preferred by patients interacts in a predictable and important way with rehabilitation outcome, suggesting that this variable is one deserving of further study.
Kozora, E., Cullum, C. M., & Smernoff, E. University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Changes in Visuospatial Functioning with Normal Aging. Decrements in visuospatial functioning associated with normal aging have been reported by a number of authors (e.g., Albert & Moss, 1988). In this study, several measures of visuospatial functioning were obtained from healthy individuals aged 50-69 and 70-95 years. The selected measures included the Block Design subtest of the WAIS-R (with extra time allotments), Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices, and drawings of a clock and house under command and copy conditions. There were 73 subjects in the younger group with a mean age of 60.5 (SO = 5.7). The older group contained
340
Abstractsof llth Annual Meeting
98 subjects with a mean age of 80.1 (SD = 6.5). There were no significant differences between the groups on educational level, t(171) = 1.39, p = .19, or gender, X2 = .023, p = .88. The scores for each group across visuospatial measures were compared using I-tests with a conservative significance level of .008. Analysis revealed si~i~c~t differences between younger and older groups on the untimed raw score of the Block Design, f(154) = 4.29, p < .OOl, Raven’s Coloured Matrices, f(59) = 5.09, p c .OOl, and the clock drawing to command, f(98) = 3.89, p < .OOl. No significant differences were found between groups on the clock drawing to copy, t(97) = 2.47, p = .016, or the house drawing to command, t(97) = 2.17, p = .034, or copy, t(97) 7 1.16, p = .l 10. Correlations between visuospatial measures and age were performed across all subjects. Decreased performance on Raven’s Coloured Matrices, r = 0.50, p c .OOl, and Block Design, r = -0.39, p = .003, were si~ific~tly correlated with increased age. These findings suggest that visuospatial tasks which require problem solving and/or conceptual reasoning may decline more rapidly than direct graphomotor skills in the process of normal aging. Implications for these findings as they may relate to dementing processes will also be discussed.
Krull, K. R. & Leber, W. R. University of Oklahoma HSC & Veterans Administration Medical Center. ‘~~nilateral Paranoia” Revolting from Partially Recovered Neglect. A case of partial recovery from left spatial neglect resulting in anxiety and paranoia to objects, particularly people, falling in the left visual field is reported in a 32-year-old survivor of a motor vehicle accident. At the time of testing, 7 years postinjury, all behavioral symptoms of neglect had subsided. Neuropsychological testing revealed average IQ, visual-spatial abilities, and memory. Left hand motor functioning was impaired. Psychometric tests of visual neglect were within normal limits. Following neuropsycholo~cal testing the subject engaged in a series of tachistoscopic tasks, during which reaction time (RT) was recorded for verbal, visuospatial, and facial stimuli presented either to the left or right visual field (VF). At short stimulus durations the subject displayed no hemispheric preference for any of the stimulus categories, indicating generalized impaired processing. However, at longer stimulus durations RT to verbal stimuli presented to the right VF was significantly shorter than RT to visuospatial stimuli, t(30) = 2.17, p c .05, or facial stimuli, t(30) = 2.12, p < .0.5. Stimuli presented to the left VP were responded to at the same speed regardless of the category. These results were interpreted as demonstrating typical left hemisphere superiority for verbal stimuli, but a lack of typical right hemisphere superiority for visuospatial and facial stimuli, which creates an uneasiness to objects presented on the left side. Since the injury the subject has come to experience the uneasiness as suspicion and fear of all objects falling in the left VF, thus the term “unilateral paranoia.”
339
between age and memory performance on both recall and recognition trials of the TPT and BVRT, with older subjects performing more poorly; however, age did not significantly predict performance on the AVLT. Analysis of correlations between hypothesized convergent and discriminant measures of ability failed to provide evidence for the construct validity of TPT memory measures. Implications for further use of the newly developed TF’T recognition trial with a clinical population are discussed in hopes that future findings may support the criterion-related validity of the TFT memory scores.
Johnson, D. J. & Hartlage, L. C. HCA Palmyra Rehabilitation Hospital and Independent Practice. Implications of Premorbid Cognitive Style for CVA Rehabilitation. Although cerebrovascular accidents constitute an important facet of neuropsychological research and treatment, there has been little research into premorbid cognitive style of CVA patients, in spite of the fact that such research can have important implications for both developing realistic outcome expectations and for treatment programming. For example, if an individual has a strongly left hemisphere lateralized pre-CVA processing style, and sustains a right hemisphere CVA, the treatment can be based on utilization of the preferred cognitive processing style, making remediation fairly straightforward and prognosis comparatively optimistic. On the other hand, CVA compromise of pre-CVA cerebral hemisphere subserving primary cognitive style requires having the patient reorder his or her principal mode of information processing, thus requiring considerably greater demands on the patient and accordingly lowering the comparative target rate for recovery. This study assessed preCVA cognitive style in equal numbers (10) of right and left hemisphere CVA patients who were admitted for assessment and ongoing treatment/follow-up. There was no consistent relationship between pre-CVA cognitive style and hemispheric lateralization of CVA. Preliminary follow-up data suggest that, as anticipated, the pre-CVA cognitive style preferred by patients interacts in a predictable and important way with rehabilitation outcome, suggesting that this variable is one deserving of further study.
Kozora, E., Cullum, C. M., & Smernoff, E. University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Changes in Visuospatial Functioning with Normal Aging. Decrements in visuospatial functioning associated with normal aging have been reported by a number of authors (e.g., Albert & Moss, 1988). In this study, several measures of visuospatial functioning were obtained from healthy individuals aged 50-69 and 70-95 years. The selected measures included the Block Design subtest of the WAIS-R (with extra time allotments), Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices, and drawings of a clock and house under command and copy conditions. There were 73 subjects in the younger group with a mean age of 60.5 (SO = 5.7). The older group contained
340
Abstractsof llth Annual Meeting
98 subjects with a mean age of 80.1 (SD = 6.5). There were no significant differences between the groups on educational level, t(171) = 1.39, p = .19, or gender, X2 = .023, p = .88. The scores for each group across visuospatial measures were compared using I-tests with a conservative significance level of .008. Analysis revealed si~i~c~t differences between younger and older groups on the untimed raw score of the Block Design, f(154) = 4.29, p < .OOl, Raven’s Coloured Matrices, f(59) = 5.09, p c .OOl, and the clock drawing to command, f(98) = 3.89, p < .OOl. No significant differences were found between groups on the clock drawing to copy, t(97) = 2.47, p = .016, or the house drawing to command, t(97) = 2.17, p = .034, or copy, t(97) 7 1.16, p = .l 10. Correlations between visuospatial measures and age were performed across all subjects. Decreased performance on Raven’s Coloured Matrices, r = 0.50, p c .OOl, and Block Design, r = -0.39, p = .003, were si~ific~tly correlated with increased age. These findings suggest that visuospatial tasks which require problem solving and/or conceptual reasoning may decline more rapidly than direct graphomotor skills in the process of normal aging. Implications for these findings as they may relate to dementing processes will also be discussed.
Krull, K. R. & Leber, W. R. University of Oklahoma HSC & Veterans Administration Medical Center. ‘~~nilateral Paranoia” Revolting from Partially Recovered Neglect. A case of partial recovery from left spatial neglect resulting in anxiety and paranoia to objects, particularly people, falling in the left visual field is reported in a 32-year-old survivor of a motor vehicle accident. At the time of testing, 7 years postinjury, all behavioral symptoms of neglect had subsided. Neuropsychological testing revealed average IQ, visual-spatial abilities, and memory. Left hand motor functioning was impaired. Psychometric tests of visual neglect were within normal limits. Following neuropsycholo~cal testing the subject engaged in a series of tachistoscopic tasks, during which reaction time (RT) was recorded for verbal, visuospatial, and facial stimuli presented either to the left or right visual field (VF). At short stimulus durations the subject displayed no hemispheric preference for any of the stimulus categories, indicating generalized impaired processing. However, at longer stimulus durations RT to verbal stimuli presented to the right VF was significantly shorter than RT to visuospatial stimuli, t(30) = 2.17, p c .05, or facial stimuli, t(30) = 2.12, p < .0.5. Stimuli presented to the left VP were responded to at the same speed regardless of the category. These results were interpreted as demonstrating typical left hemisphere superiority for verbal stimuli, but a lack of typical right hemisphere superiority for visuospatial and facial stimuli, which creates an uneasiness to objects presented on the left side. Since the injury the subject has come to experience the uneasiness as suspicion and fear of all objects falling in the left VF, thus the term “unilateral paranoia.”