PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B G Deelman

Publications and source records attributed to B G Deelman.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Outcome of strategy training in stroke patients with apraxia: a phase II study.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of a therapy programme for stroke patients with apraxia. The programme is based on teaching patients strategies to compensate for the presence of apraxia. This programme was designed for assessment and treatment by occupational therapists. DESIGN: The outcome was studied in a pre-post test design. Measurements were conducted at baseline and 12 weeks later. SUBJECTS: Thirty-three stroke patients with apraxia were treated at occupational therapy departments n general hospitals, rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following measurements were conducted: an apraxia test, a motor functioning test, observation of activities of daily living (ADL), Barthel Index, and an ADL questionnaire for the therapist and the patient. RESULTS: The patients showed large improvements in ADL functioning on all measures and small improvements on the apraxia test and the motor functioning test. The effect sizes for the disabilities, ranging from 0.92 to 1.06, were large compared to the effect sizes for apraxia (0.34) and motor functioning (0.19). The significant effect of treatment is also seen when individual improvement and subjective improvement are considered. Measured with the Barthel Index for instance, 71% of the patients improved. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the programme seems to be successful in teaching patients compensatory strategies that enable them to function more independently, despite the lasting presence of apraxia.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1998

[Memory and learning abilities in everyday life of the elderly].

Self-evaluations by adults (varying in age from 45-92 years) of their memory and learning abilities were investigated and related to performance on laboratory and ecological memory tasks. Hardly any association was found between subjective and objective measures. Self-evaluations were strongly influenced by (systematically varied) frames of reference: optimistic in comparisons with other people, pessimistic in comparisons with their own previous level of functioning. The most frequent problems were 'learning something new' and 'remembering names'. In contrast to external memory aids, cognitive strategies were rarely used spontaneously. Strategy training led to significant improvement of performance, that remained stable at follow-up. A further opportunity for improving performance was realized by ergonomic adaptations of computerized systems (teleshopping). Problems in learning to use such systems were strongly reduced by decreasing the load on working memory and by adapting the system to existing knowledge and skills of the users. A general observation in the different projects was that age-differences could explain only a small percentage of the variance in subjective and objective memory measures.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

[Memory training for remembering names: initial results in the healthy elderly].

In this study, a memory training program for remembering names was developed. It was assumed that names are remembered better if they have meaning. The effect of training is compared with two control conditions a) a placebo training, aimed at reducing worries about forgetfulness by giving information about memory and aging and b) a retest control group. Participants were healthy persons over 43 years old (M = 70 years) having subjective memory complaints and objective memory problems. The effect of training is evaluated with tasks for remembering names. Because the learned memory strategy can be applied to these tasks, these are called target memory tests. Other evaluation measures concerned remembering verbal information and intentions. These are called control memory tests, because the memory strategy learned cannot be applied directly. In accordance with the expectations, performance in the placebo training group (n = 10) did not improve more than in the retest control group (n = 11). The names training group (n = 13) improved more than both control groups on tests for remembering names. This improvement was maintained for at least three months after training. As expected, the improvement in performance on the target memory tests did not generalize to the control tasks, because of the specificity of the learned strategies.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Deficits of attention after closed-head injury: slowness only?

The performance of a group of 60 severely closed-head-injured patients in the subacute stage of recovery on a series of tests addressing focused, divided, and sustained attention, and supervisory attentional control was compared to the performance of a matched group of 60 healthy controls. Patients performed significantly worse on each test with time pressure (those addressing focused and divided attention), indicating basic slowness of information processing, and on the self-paced tasks for supervisory attentional control. No indication was found of a sustained attention deficit. In a subsequent analysis the influence of the demonstrated slowness of information processing and other possibly confounding cognitive factors was controlled for by means of covariance analyses. This resulted in a disappearance of group differences on tests for focused and divided attention. The only difference that remained concerned a test for supervisory attentional control.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Item series of the cognitive screening test compared to those of the mini-mental status examination].

The items of the ¿mini-mental state examination' (MMSE) and a Dutch dementia screening instrument, the ¿cognitive screening test' (CST), as well as the ¿geriatric mental status schedule' (GMS) and the ¿Dutch adult reading test' (DART), were administered to 4051 elderly people aged 65 to 84 years. This study was part of the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL-project), which is a population survey of cognitive decline and dementia. Based on the item-pool, CST and MMSE scores were calculated. Both tests were comparable as far as their validity as dementia screeners is concerned (dementia criterion was GMS Organic syndrome, cut-point 2/3). The abbreviated version of the CST (CST-14) has a somewhat lower validity. The reliabilities of the unabbreviated CST (CST-20) and the MMSE are also comparable. The influence of age, education, depression, and premorbid intelligence (DART-IQ) was most notable in the MMSE. Thus, the CST-20 item set has slightly better psychometric properties than the MMSE. A figure is presented by which CST scores can be transformed into MMSE scores.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Dementia and the Dutch Reading Tests for Adults].

The Dutch Adult Reading Test (DART) is a method to assess premorbid intelligence in brain damaged patients. This article describes a study in which subjects without dementia (n = 25), with mild dementia (n = 11) and moderate to severe dementia (n = 11) were tested with the DART. DART-scores of the no dementia and mild dementia groups did not differ, but were significantly lower in moderate to severe dementia. So, the DART appears to be sensitive to more severe cerebral pathology as occurs in more advanced dementia, but is very useful with patients with mild cognitive deterioration. For the first time the test-retest-reliability of the DART was determined: r = 0.87 to 0.98. Except in the severe dementia group the DART strongly correlates with educational level.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Spared recognition capacity in elderly and closed-head-injury subjects with clinical memory deficits.

This study describes the performance of three groups of subjects on a pictorial forced-recognition task, the Hundred Pictures Test. The aim was to determine whether subjects with memory deficits (elderly and closed-head-injured subjects) would perform as well as healthy young subjects, both on immediate and very long-term recognition. The results indicate that memory for complex meaningful pictures is spared in subjects with an otherwise impaired memory, and that despite increasing forgetting rates with increasing retention intervals (up to 27 weeks), still no differences are found between performance of these subjects and healthy young controls. It will be discussed how this result might be interpreted.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Depression in independently living elderly, a study with the Zung-12].

The psychometric properties of the Zung-12, a short rating scale for the measurement of depression, were studied in a random sample (N = 79) taken from an elderly population living in their own homes in a medium sized town. Both internal and test-retest reliability of the Zung-12 are satisfactory. According to factor analyses the rating scale has a unidimensional structure. High correlations with the Befindlichkeitsskala and the SSWO support the convergent validity. No relation is found between depression score and age, amount of help received and household composition. Women and subjects with lower education appeared to have higher depression scores than respectively men and subjects with higher education. Administration of the Zung-12 in the morning produces higher depression scores than in the afternoon. 10% of the subjects score above the cutting point on one of the occasions, 4% on both occasions. Reliable change scores were calculated to indicate the statistical significance of differences between two administrations.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Are memory courses effective?].

After a general overview of the many forms, aims and methods of memory courses, especially in the Netherlands, a strategy-oriented memory course for healthy elderly in a residential home is evaluated. The participants (N = 18) were compared with control subjects from the same home of comparable age, level of education and memory performance. Significant effects of the course could be demonstrated on subjective measures of memory but not on objective and 'ecologically valid' memory tests. Although one could consider subjectively experienced memory improvement as a very satisfactory result of memory courses, the authors state that adjustments to achieve objectively demonstrable progress are both necessary and possible.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[The Zung-12: a questionnaire for depression in the elderly].

The reliability and validity for use in psycho-geriatric practice of a short and experimenter-rated version of the Zung (Self-rating) Depression Scale, the Zung-12, was studied. The subjects (N = 237) were aged 62 years or older and lived independently, in adapted dwelling, in homes for the aged, or received psychogeriatric daycare in psychogeriatric nursing-homes. It was concluded that the Zung-12 was sufficiently reliable (Cronbachs alpha = 0.85). According to factor analyses the test had high loadings on a depression factor and there were no loadings on a dementia factor. Age did not correlate with depression-scores. In comparison with other living situations the percentage of depressive persons in homes for the aged appeared to be high. Norms in the form of percentile scores were calculated separately for the homes for the aged and the remaining living situations.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Screening for dementia: validity of the Cognitive Screening Test (CST) and the Mini-Mental State Examination].

The Cognitive Screening Test (CST--short version), a Dutch orientation questionnaire, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were compared with respect to their ability to discriminate between mildly demented, moderately demented and non-demented patients. The difference between mildly and moderately demented patients was based on the Global Deterioration Scale score. The CST and the MMSE were administered to patients who had been referred to the Memory Clinic of the University Hospital of Maastricht. Both instruments were successful in discriminating moderately and severely demented from non-demented patients. The CST and the MMSE were also successful with respect to the classification of depressive, non-demented elderly patients. The CST did not succeed in the correct classification of mildly demented patients (50% false-negative). The results of the MMSE in this group of mildly demented patients were moderate (25% false-negative). It is concluded that the value of both screening instruments, and especially the short version of the CST is limited for clinical practice.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Validity of the cognitive screening tests and the mini-mental status examination in a group of elderly hospital patients].

OBJECTIVE: To study the validity of the cognitive screening test (CST) and of the mini-mental state examination (MMS). DESIGN: Prospective administration of both CST and MMS (in balanced order) by laymen as well as by experienced users, and retrospective comparison of the scores with the clinical diagnosis and with the degree of functioning in activities of everyday life. SETTING: Clinical and outpatient departments of Geriatrics and Neurology of the Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Ninety-five patients of the clinical and nine patients of the outpatient departments, with an acute somatic diagnostic problem and multiple pathology attending the above-named departments in the period from September 1989 to February 1990: 20 patients (group SOM) were found not to have a dementia syndrome; 25 patients (group DEM) had a dementia syndrome as the main diagnosis; 14 patients (group CVA) had a cerebrovascular accident as the main diagnosis without clinical signs of dementia; 45 patients were excluded from the comparison (30 because of main diagnosis from several groups and 15 because of pathology that might influence the test scores to an unpredictable degree). The data were analysed statistically by means of analyses of confidence and of variance. RESULTS: The CST was found to be more reliable and less time-consuming than the MMS. The sensitivities of the two tests with regard to the distinction between dementia and somatic pathology were similar (80%). However, specificity of the CST was better than that of the MMS (80% and 60%, respectively). CONCLUSION: For the screening of older patients for dementia, the CST constitutes a good alternative to the MMS.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Problems in measuring cognitive recovery after acute brain injury.

The measurement of cognitive recovery after traumatic brain damage raises a number of methodological and practical problems. The precise schedule of testing, the specification of functions to be measured, the separation of practice from recovery, and the specification of appropriate control or comparison groups must all be considered by the researcher. In addition, strenuous efforts must be made to achieve as high a follow-up rate as possible.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1980

[Measurements of aphasic disorders. A brief description of the SAN-battery].

A Dutch test series for the measurement of aphasic disturbances is introduced. Factor analyses demonstrate three factors that can be interpreted clearly as spontaneous speech, production and comprehension of speech. This structure is very stable during a follow-up of one year. The tests and the production, comprehension and severity scores derived from them have high indices of reliability. Norms based on 147 cerebrovascular aphasics and 179 normal controls have been calculated.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1978

Long-term recovery of visual reaction time after closed head injury.

A follow-up study covering two years after a closed head injury was carried out on a group of 57 young males. Their reaction time was tested on both a simple and a four choice visual reaction task. The group was divided into three subgroups according to length of unconsciousness after the injury. Reaction time discriminated between subgroups, and a highly significant improvement during follow-up was shown. Choice reaction time discriminated better and continued to do so throughout the whole period of follow-up. Some relations of reaction time with clinical variables and outcome are discussed. The choice reaction in particular seems to have some value for monitoring recovery and predicting final outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Differential effects of simple and choice reaction after closed head injury.

Simple and choice reaction time to visual signals were recorded in persons having sustained a closed head injury. The results show a disproportional effect of task complexity in comparison to the performance of a normal group. Moreover, an interaction was demonstrated between complexity of the reaction task and length of coma after the injury. Finally it was shown that this interaction was still visible 22 months after the concussion. At that time, there is no longer a difference in simple reaction time between groups with different lengths of coma, while there is still a significant difference in the choice reaction task.

Adolescent↗