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Memory and attention in substance abusing adolescents
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Abstractsfrom the 17thAnnualMeeting
demographicvariables.The only significantdifferencein neuropsychologicaltest performance occurredon the Stroop,with the AADD group scoringlower than the non-AADD group (t(30) = 2.02, p = .05). CPT scores resulted in a poor classificationrate with a sensitivityof 60% and a specificityof 42%.A significantproportionof participantsin both groupshad two or more scoresfallingmorethan 1.5standarddeviationsbelowthe mean on neuropsychological tests(50%of AADDgroupand47Y0of non-AADDgroup).Theseresults suggestthat neuropsychologicaltest resultsshouldbe interpretedwith cautionwhen evaluating clinicalreferralsfor AADD. Plumeri,M., Petersen,T., & Burns,W. Memory and Attention in Substance Abusing Adolescents.
This is an investigationof the effects of substanceabuse in adolescentson memory and attention.Testresultsfromthe WideRangeAssessmentof Memoryand Learning,as well as ratings from the parents of adolescentsubstanceabusers were evaluated.Forty inpatient psychiatricadolescentswere assessed in four subgroupsof DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses: conductdisorderedsubstanceabusers(I), substanceabusers(II),conductdisordered(III),and internalizingdisorders(IV). The “attentionproblem”scaleof the ChildBehaviorChecklist (Achenbach,1991)was found to be most elevatedin Group I when the WRAMLgeneral memory index was depressed.Group II was found to have significantlylower “somatic problems”on the CBCLthanothergroups(p <.03, F = 3.33),but no specialdifficultieswith learningand memory.GroupIII individualswithhigherdelinquencyscoreson the CBCLhad ditllcultywith nonverbalimmediaterecall (r = –.76) and designmemory(r = –.77) on the WRAML.GroupIV individualswhoseparentsreporteddifficultywith schoolwork,had the lowest general memory scores on the WRAML. Memory and attention problems were evidencedin a varietyof waysin threeof the fourpsychiatricgroups.Onlythoseadolescents who were substanceabusers alone (withoutother diagnoses)showed no problems with attentionor memory.The assumptionthat substanceabusehas a greaterimpacton attention and memory than other psychiatricproblemswas not found to be true in this sample of psychiatricadolescentinpatients. REHABILITATION Allen,J. B., HanIon,T., Huebner,R. A., Gust, T., & llmpin, S. Psychometric and Clinical Data on the Quality of Life Measure in Medical Rehabilitation.
Although quality of life is often cited as an ultimate or overarchinggoal of medical rehabilitation,it has historicallybeen a constructthat has remained unmeasuredin any psychometricallysoundway.Additionally,individualsmay definequalityof life differently, and as such requirea compositemeasurethat includesmultipledimensionssuch as health, role satisfaction,and activity level. To date, few measureshave satisfiedthese important conditions,and have not been employedin the treatmentof medicalrehabilitationpopulations. The current study sought to establishbasic normative,clinical, and psychometric parametersfor the Qualityof Life Rating.This 20-iteminstrumentwas administeredto 320 non-rehabilitationsubjects (233 women, 59 men), as well as a sample of 30 medical rehabilitationpatients.A factor analyticstudyidentifieda five factor solutionthat included 12 items from the measure and resulted in the following factors: (1) Self-Esteem,(2) Attachment,(3) Economics,(4) Avocational,and (5) Spiritual Factors. Factor loadings rangedbetween.53and .83for thefivefactors.Eightof the 20 itemsfromthe Qualityof Life Rating did not demonstratesignificantloadings on the five derived factors. Along with conductingbasic descriptivestatisticalanalysis,test-retestreliability,and concurrentreli-
Abstractsfrom the 17thAnnualMeeting
demographicvariables.The only significantdifferencein neuropsychologicaltest performance occurredon the Stroop,with the AADD group scoringlower than the non-AADD group (t(30) = 2.02, p = .05). CPT scores resulted in a poor classificationrate with a sensitivityof 60% and a specificityof 42%.A significantproportionof participantsin both groupshad two or more scoresfallingmorethan 1.5standarddeviationsbelowthe mean on neuropsychological tests(50%of AADDgroupand47Y0of non-AADDgroup).Theseresults suggestthat neuropsychologicaltest resultsshouldbe interpretedwith cautionwhen evaluating clinicalreferralsfor AADD. Plumeri,M., Petersen,T., & Burns,W. Memory and Attention in Substance Abusing Adolescents.
This is an investigationof the effects of substanceabuse in adolescentson memory and attention.Testresultsfromthe WideRangeAssessmentof Memoryand Learning,as well as ratings from the parents of adolescentsubstanceabusers were evaluated.Forty inpatient psychiatricadolescentswere assessed in four subgroupsof DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses: conductdisorderedsubstanceabusers(I), substanceabusers(II),conductdisordered(III),and internalizingdisorders(IV). The “attentionproblem”scaleof the ChildBehaviorChecklist (Achenbach,1991)was found to be most elevatedin Group I when the WRAMLgeneral memory index was depressed.Group II was found to have significantlylower “somatic problems”on the CBCLthanothergroups(p <.03, F = 3.33),but no specialdifficultieswith learningand memory.GroupIII individualswithhigherdelinquencyscoreson the CBCLhad ditllcultywith nonverbalimmediaterecall (r = –.76) and designmemory(r = –.77) on the WRAML.GroupIV individualswhoseparentsreporteddifficultywith schoolwork,had the lowest general memory scores on the WRAML. Memory and attention problems were evidencedin a varietyof waysin threeof the fourpsychiatricgroups.Onlythoseadolescents who were substanceabusers alone (withoutother diagnoses)showed no problems with attentionor memory.The assumptionthat substanceabusehas a greaterimpacton attention and memory than other psychiatricproblemswas not found to be true in this sample of psychiatricadolescentinpatients. REHABILITATION Allen,J. B., HanIon,T., Huebner,R. A., Gust, T., & llmpin, S. Psychometric and Clinical Data on the Quality of Life Measure in Medical Rehabilitation.
Although quality of life is often cited as an ultimate or overarchinggoal of medical rehabilitation,it has historicallybeen a constructthat has remained unmeasuredin any psychometricallysoundway.Additionally,individualsmay definequalityof life differently, and as such requirea compositemeasurethat includesmultipledimensionssuch as health, role satisfaction,and activity level. To date, few measureshave satisfiedthese important conditions,and have not been employedin the treatmentof medicalrehabilitationpopulations. The current study sought to establishbasic normative,clinical, and psychometric parametersfor the Qualityof Life Rating.This 20-iteminstrumentwas administeredto 320 non-rehabilitationsubjects (233 women, 59 men), as well as a sample of 30 medical rehabilitationpatients.A factor analyticstudyidentifieda five factor solutionthat included 12 items from the measure and resulted in the following factors: (1) Self-Esteem,(2) Attachment,(3) Economics,(4) Avocational,and (5) Spiritual Factors. Factor loadings rangedbetween.53and .83for thefivefactors.Eightof the 20 itemsfromthe Qualityof Life Rating did not demonstratesignificantloadings on the five derived factors. Along with conductingbasic descriptivestatisticalanalysis,test-retestreliability,and concurrentreli-