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MRI correlates of electrical injury
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Abstractsfrom the 17thAnnualMeeting
Chiulli,S. J., Jung, R. E., & Yeo,R. A. Clinical Assessment ofAttention and Emotional Functioning: Attention Process Training and Standard Approaches.
Evaluationof emotionalfunctioningis an importantrole of the clinicalneuropsychologist, particularlyas emotionrelatesto interferencewith allocationof attentionalresources.In this study,the potentialvalue of the AttentionProcessTrainingTest (APT) was comparedto establishedmeasures of attentionincluding:(1) WechslerMemory Scale-AttentionIndex (WMS-A),and (2) Subtestsof the WechslerAdult IntelligenceScale-Revised,comprising “freedom from distractibility”(WAIS-R-FD).In addition,the relationshipof these attentionalvariablesto importantemotionalvariables(depressionand anxiety)was analyzed.100 consecutiveclinicalprotocolswere entered into the analysis,the majority (n = 62) being referredfor TraumaticBrainInjury(TBI).Otherreferralsin the samplewere from a variety of diagnosticcategoriesincludingepilepsy,multiplesclerosis,cerebrovascularaccident,and dementia (n = 38). The results of the analysis indicate that APT subtests appear to be redundantwithestablishedmeasuresof attentionfoundon standardneuropsychologicaltests. Furthermore,therewasno significantrelationshipbetweenmeasuresof emotionalsymptoms and theAPT,whereasthe well-knownrelationshipbetweencommonattentionmeasuresand emotion was supported.The results of this research indicatethat cliniciansworking in a rehabilitationsetting,where the APT is commonlyused, shouldbe advisedof the greater utilityof well standardizedneuropsychologicalmeasuresof attention.In addition,clinicians conductingassessmentsare better served by attentiontasks with well studiedproperties, includingknownrelationshipsto emotionalfunctioning. Weissenburger,J., & Clement,p. F. MRICorrelates of Electrical Injury. Presentsthree casesof electricalinjurywith cognitivedeficitsrangingfrom severeto mild, with MRI findingsfor each case. Patient 1 was a 33-year-oldArmy recruiterwho demonstratedseverediffusecognitivedeficitswhenevaluated6 weeksposthis electricalinjury.His Vocabularyscalescoreof 10providedthebestestimateof premorbidlevelof functioning,but he obtainedFull Scale IQ score of 68. He scored in the severelyimpairedrange on the Halstead-ReitanBattery,theWisconsinCardSortingTest,and a varietyof memorymeasures. MRI revealed multiplesubcorticallesions in the white matter of the frontal lobes, more prominenton the right than the left. Patient2 was a 50-year-oldadministratorwho demonstrateda mild memorydeficit4 monthspost electricalinjury.MRI indicatedsmallpunctate areasof abnormalsignalin the rightcentrumsemiovale,withno otherabnormalities.Patient 3 was a 19-year-oldsoldierwho demonstratedan attentionaldeficitand mildmemorydeficit 4 monthspost electricalinjury.MRI was essentiallywithinnormallimits.Patient 1 received the seeminglymildest injury in terms of voltage level, but both his neuropsychological evaluationand MRIfindingswereconsistentin indicatingthathe sufferedmoreseverebrain injury than the other two patients. This finding is consistent with previous research in suggestingthat the voltagelevelof the sourceof electricalinjurymay not alwaysbe the best measureof the degreeof brain injury. Devinney,R. B., Sewick,B. G., & Haslund,S. L. A Normative Study of the Olfactory Discrimination Examination. test in development, The OlfactoryDiscriminationExamination(ODE),a neumpsychological
seeksto measurean individual’sabilityto identifycommonhouseholdodors.In thosefree of peripheraldeficitsaffectingthe abilityto smell,low scoreson the ODE may relateto brain damage.TheODEhaspreviouslybeennormedona grOUP ofsubj~~ whohadexperiencedhe~ trauma.It has not beennormedon a groupof normalsubjects.This studydoesso.
Abstractsfrom the 17thAnnualMeeting
Chiulli,S. J., Jung, R. E., & Yeo,R. A. Clinical Assessment ofAttention and Emotional Functioning: Attention Process Training and Standard Approaches.
Evaluationof emotionalfunctioningis an importantrole of the clinicalneuropsychologist, particularlyas emotionrelatesto interferencewith allocationof attentionalresources.In this study,the potentialvalue of the AttentionProcessTrainingTest (APT) was comparedto establishedmeasures of attentionincluding:(1) WechslerMemory Scale-AttentionIndex (WMS-A),and (2) Subtestsof the WechslerAdult IntelligenceScale-Revised,comprising “freedom from distractibility”(WAIS-R-FD).In addition,the relationshipof these attentionalvariablesto importantemotionalvariables(depressionand anxiety)was analyzed.100 consecutiveclinicalprotocolswere entered into the analysis,the majority (n = 62) being referredfor TraumaticBrainInjury(TBI).Otherreferralsin the samplewere from a variety of diagnosticcategoriesincludingepilepsy,multiplesclerosis,cerebrovascularaccident,and dementia (n = 38). The results of the analysis indicate that APT subtests appear to be redundantwithestablishedmeasuresof attentionfoundon standardneuropsychologicaltests. Furthermore,therewasno significantrelationshipbetweenmeasuresof emotionalsymptoms and theAPT,whereasthe well-knownrelationshipbetweencommonattentionmeasuresand emotion was supported.The results of this research indicatethat cliniciansworking in a rehabilitationsetting,where the APT is commonlyused, shouldbe advisedof the greater utilityof well standardizedneuropsychologicalmeasuresof attention.In addition,clinicians conductingassessmentsare better served by attentiontasks with well studiedproperties, includingknownrelationshipsto emotionalfunctioning. Weissenburger,J., & Clement,p. F. MRICorrelates of Electrical Injury. Presentsthree casesof electricalinjurywith cognitivedeficitsrangingfrom severeto mild, with MRI findingsfor each case. Patient 1 was a 33-year-oldArmy recruiterwho demonstratedseverediffusecognitivedeficitswhenevaluated6 weeksposthis electricalinjury.His Vocabularyscalescoreof 10providedthebestestimateof premorbidlevelof functioning,but he obtainedFull Scale IQ score of 68. He scored in the severelyimpairedrange on the Halstead-ReitanBattery,theWisconsinCardSortingTest,and a varietyof memorymeasures. MRI revealed multiplesubcorticallesions in the white matter of the frontal lobes, more prominenton the right than the left. Patient2 was a 50-year-oldadministratorwho demonstrateda mild memorydeficit4 monthspost electricalinjury.MRI indicatedsmallpunctate areasof abnormalsignalin the rightcentrumsemiovale,withno otherabnormalities.Patient 3 was a 19-year-oldsoldierwho demonstratedan attentionaldeficitand mildmemorydeficit 4 monthspost electricalinjury.MRI was essentiallywithinnormallimits.Patient 1 received the seeminglymildest injury in terms of voltage level, but both his neuropsychological evaluationand MRIfindingswereconsistentin indicatingthathe sufferedmoreseverebrain injury than the other two patients. This finding is consistent with previous research in suggestingthat the voltagelevelof the sourceof electricalinjurymay not alwaysbe the best measureof the degreeof brain injury. Devinney,R. B., Sewick,B. G., & Haslund,S. L. A Normative Study of the Olfactory Discrimination Examination. test in development, The OlfactoryDiscriminationExamination(ODE),a neumpsychological
seeksto measurean individual’sabilityto identifycommonhouseholdodors.In thosefree of peripheraldeficitsaffectingthe abilityto smell,low scoreson the ODE may relateto brain damage.TheODEhaspreviouslybeennormedona grOUP ofsubj~~ whohadexperiencedhe~ trauma.It has not beennormedon a groupof normalsubjects.This studydoesso.