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Testing the limits of remote memory; A multiple choice format
160
Nafionui Academy of Neu~p~y~~o~ogy
Caplan, B., Cushman, L., Funk, W., and Reidy, K. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; llniversityof Rochester Testing the limits of remote memory: A multiple choice format. In this report, we describe the development and utility of a multiple-choice paradigm of the Information subtest of the b'echsler Adult IntelligenceScale-Revised. Some patients (e.g., aphasics, depressed individuals) perform poorly on Information for reasons that are unrelated to remote memory deficit. Clinical observation suggested that these patients could often recognize answers that they could not spontaneouslyrecall. Therefore, we devised a multiplechoice format for Information. For items requiring a single response, three distracters were developed; for items demanding multiple responses, additional alternatives were created. The response array was printed in large type on note cards. Forty-two acute physical rehabilitation patients were evaluated. Primary diagnoses included stroke, brain tumor, head trauma, multiple sclerosis, depression, hydrocephalusand hepatic encephalopathy. The multiple choices were offered when a patient failed an item under standard administrationconditions. The average "standard" score was 14.24 (SD-6.09). equivalent to a scaled score of 7. Average "nonstandard" score was*17.88, equivalent to a scaled score of 9: Thus, average performance for the group improved from the "low average" range under standard conditions to "average" when response alternatives were offerred. A powerful impact was noted in certain individual cases. This paradigm permits the clinically vital distinction to be made between deficits in recognition memory and those affecting spontaneous retrieval alone.
Chase, R., Massoth, N., Sandrock, 0..Williams, 8.. BiancM C. and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Teaneck, New Jersey. Impaired Visual Memory on the WMS-A In Affective Disorders: Correlates of Right Hemispheric Dysfunction
RonflR J.
Research has indicated a positive relationship between Junclional psychiatric disorders and neuropsychoiogical abnormalities. Specifically, a number of research findings indicate abnormal right hemispheric involvement in processing of alfective infofmation in depressed subjects. While such Jindings are logically ansistent wilh the commonly accepted belief that the non-dominant hemisphere may be implicated in certain affective disorders through ils specialized role in processing and controlling emolional informalion and prosody, a finding of significant impairment in depressives on ti righl-hemisphere tasks (Le., spatial skills or visual memory) would validale this theory even further. The following study exa@fined the pattern of laterality for scores of both clinically depressed and normal individuals% commonly used neuropsychological test, the Wechsler Memos Scale-Revised (WMS-R). A group of 20 inpatients diagnosed wilh clinical depressive illness and 20 normal control subjects (college undergraduates) were given the subtests of the Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, General Memory and Attention/Concentration indexes of the WMS-R. Univariate ANOVA as well as subsequenl t-tests indicated that compared to control subjects, depressives were significantly impaired in Visual Memory only. As Visual Memory is generally associated with the visual-spafial abilities of the right hemisphere, lhe above finding adds further support to the aforementioned theory that affective psychiatric disorders may indeed be associated with right hemispheric dysfunction. Furthermore, since depressives were not signilicantly impaired relative to controts on the Attention/concentration index, the differences found belween groups seem lo result from funclional asymmelry rather than apathy or a lack of conscious effort which is often associated with depressive symptomatology. Implications for Ihe use of the WMS-R as a neuropsychological measure for head-injured individuals who may be sufferinq from concurrenf depression will be further addressed.
Nafionui Academy of Neu~p~y~~o~ogy
Caplan, B., Cushman, L., Funk, W., and Reidy, K. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; llniversityof Rochester Testing the limits of remote memory: A multiple choice format. In this report, we describe the development and utility of a multiple-choice paradigm of the Information subtest of the b'echsler Adult IntelligenceScale-Revised. Some patients (e.g., aphasics, depressed individuals) perform poorly on Information for reasons that are unrelated to remote memory deficit. Clinical observation suggested that these patients could often recognize answers that they could not spontaneouslyrecall. Therefore, we devised a multiplechoice format for Information. For items requiring a single response, three distracters were developed; for items demanding multiple responses, additional alternatives were created. The response array was printed in large type on note cards. Forty-two acute physical rehabilitation patients were evaluated. Primary diagnoses included stroke, brain tumor, head trauma, multiple sclerosis, depression, hydrocephalusand hepatic encephalopathy. The multiple choices were offered when a patient failed an item under standard administrationconditions. The average "standard" score was 14.24 (SD-6.09). equivalent to a scaled score of 7. Average "nonstandard" score was*17.88, equivalent to a scaled score of 9: Thus, average performance for the group improved from the "low average" range under standard conditions to "average" when response alternatives were offerred. A powerful impact was noted in certain individual cases. This paradigm permits the clinically vital distinction to be made between deficits in recognition memory and those affecting spontaneous retrieval alone.
Chase, R., Massoth, N., Sandrock, 0..Williams, 8.. BiancM C. and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Teaneck, New Jersey. Impaired Visual Memory on the WMS-A In Affective Disorders: Correlates of Right Hemispheric Dysfunction
RonflR J.
Research has indicated a positive relationship between Junclional psychiatric disorders and neuropsychoiogical abnormalities. Specifically, a number of research findings indicate abnormal right hemispheric involvement in processing of alfective infofmation in depressed subjects. While such Jindings are logically ansistent wilh the commonly accepted belief that the non-dominant hemisphere may be implicated in certain affective disorders through ils specialized role in processing and controlling emolional informalion and prosody, a finding of significant impairment in depressives on ti righl-hemisphere tasks (Le., spatial skills or visual memory) would validale this theory even further. The following study exa@fined the pattern of laterality for scores of both clinically depressed and normal individuals% commonly used neuropsychological test, the Wechsler Memos Scale-Revised (WMS-R). A group of 20 inpatients diagnosed wilh clinical depressive illness and 20 normal control subjects (college undergraduates) were given the subtests of the Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, General Memory and Attention/Concentration indexes of the WMS-R. Univariate ANOVA as well as subsequenl t-tests indicated that compared to control subjects, depressives were significantly impaired in Visual Memory only. As Visual Memory is generally associated with the visual-spafial abilities of the right hemisphere, lhe above finding adds further support to the aforementioned theory that affective psychiatric disorders may indeed be associated with right hemispheric dysfunction. Furthermore, since depressives were not signilicantly impaired relative to controts on the Attention/concentration index, the differences found belween groups seem lo result from funclional asymmelry rather than apathy or a lack of conscious effort which is often associated with depressive symptomatology. Implications for Ihe use of the WMS-R as a neuropsychological measure for head-injured individuals who may be sufferinq from concurrenf depression will be further addressed.