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Premorbid estimation of memory functioning
Abstracts /Archives
of Clinical Neuropsychologv
15 (2000) 653450
807
Life Scale (POQOLS). Executive Rmctioning deficits were found, particularly among those having undergone radiation or chemotherapy. Significant correlations (p< .OS) were found for older children (age > 15) between performance on the (1) CT and the BASC-PRS Internalizing Behaviors Composite (r=.53) and POQOLS (r=.64), (2) TrailsB and the BASC-PRS Adaptive Skills Composite (r=.645) and POQOLS (r= .64), and (3) CF and the BASC-PRS Adaptive Skills Composite (r= .56) and the POQOLS (r=-.53). Significant correlations were found for younger children (age< 15) between the CPT hit reaction time standard error and the BASC-SRI’ Personal Adjustment Composite (r=-.44). The results suggest that executive functioning deficits in the domains of cognitive flexibility and concept formation have a greater impact on psychosocial functioning in adolescents than in younger children. This finding is consistent with Eslinger et al.% (1997) contention that certain cognitive deficits may appear to worsen as a child develops due to an increasing discrepancy between developmentally appropriate and actual abilities. In contrast, younger children appear to be more greatly impacted by attentional deficits.
TRAUMATIC
Testing the validity of self-report Gunstad J Suhr J.
BRAIN INJURY
‘PCS’ symptoms:
lack of specificity
to head injury
A growing number of studies show post-concussion syndrome (PCS) symptom report is influenced by factors other than head injury status, suggesting that symptoms typically associated with PCS may not be specific to head injury. Given the role that symptom expectation has been hypothesized to play in the etiology of PCS symptoms, a comparison of symptoms expected for various disorders seems overdue. The present study asked 82 undergraduates to report the symptoms they currently experience, and then were randomly assigned to report the symptoms they would expect to experience if they suffered a head injury, an orthopedic injury, posttraumatic stress, or depression, respectively. No current differences in overall symptoms or in symptom subscales emerged. Results showed individuals portraying head injury, post-traumatic stress, and depression expected an increase in total symptoms, though those portraying orthopedic injury did not expect an increase. Results also showed individuals portraying head injury, post-traumatic stress, and depression expected similar number and types of symptom patterns (increases in memory/cognitive problems, somatic complaints, affective symptoms, and distractor items). These findings suggest individuals have negative, non-specific expectations about the consequences of a traumatic event, which is consistent with predictions of the good old days model (Gunstad and Suhr, in press) and the generalized nocebo effect described by Hahn (1997).
Premorhid estimation of memory functioning 0 ‘Grady J, Nagel B, Long CJ. Memory impairment is often the primary complaint of a brain-injured individual. Referral questions for a neuropsychological evaluation which ask the extent of memory loss and to assess the likelihood of recovery of memory functioning are difficult to answer. Presently, reliable estimation equations for premorbid memory functioning do not exist. A neuropsychologist may be
808
Abstracts /Archives
of Clinical Neuropsychology
15 (2000) 653-850
able to assess the current level of ‘memory’ ability, yet most tests available today are quantitative in nature, rather than qualitative. In the present investigation, the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was chosen as a measure of memory functioning. Specifically, the number of total words recalled across all 5 learning trials was selected as a general estimate of memory ability. The purpose of this study was to determine whether premorbid memory ability could be predicted by other standard measures of intelligence and achievement. The Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS-III was selected due to its demonstrated high correlation of Full-Scale IQ as well as its resistance to decline following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The WRAT-3 was selected as an additional measure to provide information regarding overall academic achievement, which has also been established as a ‘resistant’ measure after TBI. It was hypothesized that the Vocabulary subtest score of the WAIS-III and WRAT-3 Reading and Spelling would be strongly correlated with total words recalled on the CVLT, and together, would account for a significant proportion of the variance in memory ability. Contrary to the hypothesis, WRAT Reading, Spelling and Arithmetic were all significantly correlated with total words recalled, whereas Vocabulary was not. WRAT Spelling was found to be the best predictor of memory ability, accounting for 24.1% of the variance in total words recalled in the study sample. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.
Receptive language performance as an estimator of verbal intellectual performance in children with head injuries Natale MJ Patton D, Burns WJ, Carone D, Simpson R, Bradshaw A, Widmayer S, Puranick S, Peterson L, Starratt C. A number of researchers have found statistically significant relationships between the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) Verbal IQ and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) in children with no known head injuries. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of employing the PPVT-R as an estimator of verbal intellectual abilities with brain injured children. The WISC-III and the PPVT-R were administered as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to 19 ethnically diverse children ranging in age from 7 to 16 years (mean age 11.37 years, SD = 3.13). Participants in the study had been hospitalized post-traumatic brain injury with a mean Glasgow Coma score of 12.2 (SD=3.27). A statistically significant (~~0.05 with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons) Pearson r correlation coefficient of 0.79 was obtained between PPVT-R and WISC-III Verbal IQ scores, suggesting that the PPVT-R is an appropriate screening device of VIQ in children who sustain head trauma. Factor scores and subtests that are components of VIQ were also analyzed to determine their relationship to the PPVT-R. Statistically significant relationships were revealed between the PPVT-R and the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI; r= 0.79, p
of Clinical Neuropsychologv
15 (2000) 653450
807
Life Scale (POQOLS). Executive Rmctioning deficits were found, particularly among those having undergone radiation or chemotherapy. Significant correlations (p< .OS) were found for older children (age > 15) between performance on the (1) CT and the BASC-PRS Internalizing Behaviors Composite (r=.53) and POQOLS (r=.64), (2) TrailsB and the BASC-PRS Adaptive Skills Composite (r=.645) and POQOLS (r= .64), and (3) CF and the BASC-PRS Adaptive Skills Composite (r= .56) and the POQOLS (r=-.53). Significant correlations were found for younger children (age< 15) between the CPT hit reaction time standard error and the BASC-SRI’ Personal Adjustment Composite (r=-.44). The results suggest that executive functioning deficits in the domains of cognitive flexibility and concept formation have a greater impact on psychosocial functioning in adolescents than in younger children. This finding is consistent with Eslinger et al.% (1997) contention that certain cognitive deficits may appear to worsen as a child develops due to an increasing discrepancy between developmentally appropriate and actual abilities. In contrast, younger children appear to be more greatly impacted by attentional deficits.
TRAUMATIC
Testing the validity of self-report Gunstad J Suhr J.
BRAIN INJURY
‘PCS’ symptoms:
lack of specificity
to head injury
A growing number of studies show post-concussion syndrome (PCS) symptom report is influenced by factors other than head injury status, suggesting that symptoms typically associated with PCS may not be specific to head injury. Given the role that symptom expectation has been hypothesized to play in the etiology of PCS symptoms, a comparison of symptoms expected for various disorders seems overdue. The present study asked 82 undergraduates to report the symptoms they currently experience, and then were randomly assigned to report the symptoms they would expect to experience if they suffered a head injury, an orthopedic injury, posttraumatic stress, or depression, respectively. No current differences in overall symptoms or in symptom subscales emerged. Results showed individuals portraying head injury, post-traumatic stress, and depression expected an increase in total symptoms, though those portraying orthopedic injury did not expect an increase. Results also showed individuals portraying head injury, post-traumatic stress, and depression expected similar number and types of symptom patterns (increases in memory/cognitive problems, somatic complaints, affective symptoms, and distractor items). These findings suggest individuals have negative, non-specific expectations about the consequences of a traumatic event, which is consistent with predictions of the good old days model (Gunstad and Suhr, in press) and the generalized nocebo effect described by Hahn (1997).
Premorhid estimation of memory functioning 0 ‘Grady J, Nagel B, Long CJ. Memory impairment is often the primary complaint of a brain-injured individual. Referral questions for a neuropsychological evaluation which ask the extent of memory loss and to assess the likelihood of recovery of memory functioning are difficult to answer. Presently, reliable estimation equations for premorbid memory functioning do not exist. A neuropsychologist may be
808
Abstracts /Archives
of Clinical Neuropsychology
15 (2000) 653-850
able to assess the current level of ‘memory’ ability, yet most tests available today are quantitative in nature, rather than qualitative. In the present investigation, the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was chosen as a measure of memory functioning. Specifically, the number of total words recalled across all 5 learning trials was selected as a general estimate of memory ability. The purpose of this study was to determine whether premorbid memory ability could be predicted by other standard measures of intelligence and achievement. The Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS-III was selected due to its demonstrated high correlation of Full-Scale IQ as well as its resistance to decline following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The WRAT-3 was selected as an additional measure to provide information regarding overall academic achievement, which has also been established as a ‘resistant’ measure after TBI. It was hypothesized that the Vocabulary subtest score of the WAIS-III and WRAT-3 Reading and Spelling would be strongly correlated with total words recalled on the CVLT, and together, would account for a significant proportion of the variance in memory ability. Contrary to the hypothesis, WRAT Reading, Spelling and Arithmetic were all significantly correlated with total words recalled, whereas Vocabulary was not. WRAT Spelling was found to be the best predictor of memory ability, accounting for 24.1% of the variance in total words recalled in the study sample. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.
Receptive language performance as an estimator of verbal intellectual performance in children with head injuries Natale MJ Patton D, Burns WJ, Carone D, Simpson R, Bradshaw A, Widmayer S, Puranick S, Peterson L, Starratt C. A number of researchers have found statistically significant relationships between the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) Verbal IQ and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) in children with no known head injuries. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of employing the PPVT-R as an estimator of verbal intellectual abilities with brain injured children. The WISC-III and the PPVT-R were administered as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to 19 ethnically diverse children ranging in age from 7 to 16 years (mean age 11.37 years, SD = 3.13). Participants in the study had been hospitalized post-traumatic brain injury with a mean Glasgow Coma score of 12.2 (SD=3.27). A statistically significant (~~0.05 with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons) Pearson r correlation coefficient of 0.79 was obtained between PPVT-R and WISC-III Verbal IQ scores, suggesting that the PPVT-R is an appropriate screening device of VIQ in children who sustain head trauma. Factor scores and subtests that are components of VIQ were also analyzed to determine their relationship to the PPVT-R. Statistically significant relationships were revealed between the PPVT-R and the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI; r= 0.79, p