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Scoring methodology: Demographic corrections in neuropsychological assessment
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Abstractsfrom the 18th Annual Meeting
Freshwater, S. F., Teichner, G., & Golden, C. J. Scoring Methodology: Demographic Corrections in Neuropsychological Assessment. The concept of neuropsychological disability presupposes some level of functioning against which a patient's cognitive performance may be evaluated. For many cognitive functions, demographic variables, such as age, education, gender, and ethnicity, may significantly affect neuropsychological test performance and interpretation. Multiple regression is particularly appropriate for determining whether these variables are useful in predicting an expected level of performance in a cognitive domain, and how much variance is accounted for in a cognitive measure by these subject demographics. The LuriaNebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Third edition (LNNB-III), a battery of neuropsychological tests designed to provide information useful in the diagnosis and treatment of brain dysfunction or damage was administered to a normal sample (n = 109). A hierarchical stepwise analysis was performed investigating curvilinear and linear relationships of demographic variables. Results indicated linear regression contributed to a greater amount of variance with the most powerful predictors age and education. Regression equations and standard errors of measurement were then generated from the normative sample for each clinical scale. Z-score transformations and T-score calculations were then derived for each of the LNNB-III 35 clinical scales. This paper presents the regression equations and standard errors of estimate generated for the LNNB-III clinical scales, an example of their application, and a discussion of the methodology and applicability of regression analysis with any neuropsychological test to produce age and education corrected scores while also allowing conversion of raw scores to T-scores for "cut off" methodology. Gouvier, W. D., Tucker, K. A., Baglio, C. S., Smith, J. M., Price, C. C., & Matson, J. L. Detection of Tardive Dyskinesia in Developmentally Disabled Individuals. Individuals with developmental disabilities who live in residential facilities are commonly prescribed neuroleptic medications for psychosis and behavioral problems such as aggression and self-injurious behavior. As a consequence of treatment with neuroleptics, these individuals may develop involuntary movements that are associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD). Since these movements may be quite debilitating and are potentially irreversible, early detection of TD is essential in this group of individuals who are frequently already neurologically compromised. Neuropsychologists working within this field are being called upon to assist in the identification of these symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Dyskinesia Identification System: Condensed User Scale (DISCUS) effectively identifies clients who are exhibiting symptoms of TD among developmentally disabled individuals whose intellectual functioning is within the severe and profound ranges. The DISCUS correctly classified 68% of subjects into one of four groups: neuroleptic treated subjects with symptoms of TD, unmedicated subjects exhibiting symptoms of another movement disorder, subjects taking neuroleptics who did not exhibit symptoms of TD, and subjects who were not medicated and did not display involuntary movements. The interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity were examined as well. Results indicate that the DISCUS is a reliable and valid instrument for the detection of TD within developmentally disabled samples. The ability of this measure to accurately classify these subjects may be diminished by the communication and physical deficits that limit their participation in the assessment. Suggestions are made regarding other possible symptoms of TD within this population that may help increase the classificatory power of the DISCUS. Greve, K. W., Hartley, S. M., Lindberg, R., Bianchini, K. J., & Adams, D. The Factor Structure of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a Stroke Rehabilitation Sample. The factor structure and construct validity of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) have been the subject of considerable recent research. These studies have demonstrated
Abstractsfrom the 18th Annual Meeting
Freshwater, S. F., Teichner, G., & Golden, C. J. Scoring Methodology: Demographic Corrections in Neuropsychological Assessment. The concept of neuropsychological disability presupposes some level of functioning against which a patient's cognitive performance may be evaluated. For many cognitive functions, demographic variables, such as age, education, gender, and ethnicity, may significantly affect neuropsychological test performance and interpretation. Multiple regression is particularly appropriate for determining whether these variables are useful in predicting an expected level of performance in a cognitive domain, and how much variance is accounted for in a cognitive measure by these subject demographics. The LuriaNebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Third edition (LNNB-III), a battery of neuropsychological tests designed to provide information useful in the diagnosis and treatment of brain dysfunction or damage was administered to a normal sample (n = 109). A hierarchical stepwise analysis was performed investigating curvilinear and linear relationships of demographic variables. Results indicated linear regression contributed to a greater amount of variance with the most powerful predictors age and education. Regression equations and standard errors of measurement were then generated from the normative sample for each clinical scale. Z-score transformations and T-score calculations were then derived for each of the LNNB-III 35 clinical scales. This paper presents the regression equations and standard errors of estimate generated for the LNNB-III clinical scales, an example of their application, and a discussion of the methodology and applicability of regression analysis with any neuropsychological test to produce age and education corrected scores while also allowing conversion of raw scores to T-scores for "cut off" methodology. Gouvier, W. D., Tucker, K. A., Baglio, C. S., Smith, J. M., Price, C. C., & Matson, J. L. Detection of Tardive Dyskinesia in Developmentally Disabled Individuals. Individuals with developmental disabilities who live in residential facilities are commonly prescribed neuroleptic medications for psychosis and behavioral problems such as aggression and self-injurious behavior. As a consequence of treatment with neuroleptics, these individuals may develop involuntary movements that are associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD). Since these movements may be quite debilitating and are potentially irreversible, early detection of TD is essential in this group of individuals who are frequently already neurologically compromised. Neuropsychologists working within this field are being called upon to assist in the identification of these symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Dyskinesia Identification System: Condensed User Scale (DISCUS) effectively identifies clients who are exhibiting symptoms of TD among developmentally disabled individuals whose intellectual functioning is within the severe and profound ranges. The DISCUS correctly classified 68% of subjects into one of four groups: neuroleptic treated subjects with symptoms of TD, unmedicated subjects exhibiting symptoms of another movement disorder, subjects taking neuroleptics who did not exhibit symptoms of TD, and subjects who were not medicated and did not display involuntary movements. The interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity were examined as well. Results indicate that the DISCUS is a reliable and valid instrument for the detection of TD within developmentally disabled samples. The ability of this measure to accurately classify these subjects may be diminished by the communication and physical deficits that limit their participation in the assessment. Suggestions are made regarding other possible symptoms of TD within this population that may help increase the classificatory power of the DISCUS. Greve, K. W., Hartley, S. M., Lindberg, R., Bianchini, K. J., & Adams, D. The Factor Structure of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a Stroke Rehabilitation Sample. The factor structure and construct validity of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) have been the subject of considerable recent research. These studies have demonstrated