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Biomedical subjects

F C Goldstein

Publications and source records attributed to F C Goldstein.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Facilitation of memory performance through induced semantic processing in survivors of severe closed-head injury.

This study examined whether survivors of severe closed-head injury (CHI) show a relative benefit in memory for words that are processed semantically versus words that are processed physically or acoustically. Sixteen long-term CHI patients and 14 demographically matched controls were administered a Levels of Processing paradigm involving detection of semantic (categorical), physical (letter), or acoustic (rhyme) features of to-be-remembered words. Semantic processing enhanced recognition memory and cued recall in the CHI patients, but the degree of facilitation was reduced relative to controls. The results indicate that attention to semantic features facilitates memory performance in survivors but may require greater cognitive effort. Implications for the remediation of memory impairments following CHI are discussed.

Attention↗
PubMed1989

Conceptual encoding following severe closed head injury.

This investigation examined whether survivors of severe closed head injury encode semantic properties of to-be-remembered words and the relationship of such processing to frontal lobe functioning. Fourteen patients enrolled in rehabilitation and 12 controls were administered the Release from Proactive Inhibition paradigm involving trials of recalling words from the same category followed by a shift to a new category or continued presentation of identical material. Similar to the controls, patients demonstrated a facilitation in recall when the category shifted. An association between the amount of release and frontal lobe functioning (as evaluated by neuropsychological tests and magnetic resonance imaging) was not compelling and depended upon the particular measure of release that was utilized. Pending replication in a larger, more representative sample, we suggest that conceptual encoding is relatively preserved in long-term survivors. The failure to find a robust relationship between frontal lobe pathology and semantic encoding is discussed in light of other investigations suggesting an association.

Craniocerebral Trauma↗
PubMed1989

Neurobehavioral and magnetic resonance imaging findings in two cases of decompression sickness.

Two divers underwent neurobehavioral examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while hospitalized during the first 2 weeks after sustaining decompression sickness (DCS). Their neurologic findings included a Brown-Séquard Syndrome consistent with spinal cord lesion, and focal deficits consistent with cerebral lesion(s). MRI revealed subcortical white matter lesions in the brains of both divers, whereas no lesion of the spinal cord was demonstrated. The patients exhibited neurobehavioral sequelae including disturbances of memory, divergent thinking, and visuospatial and motor functioning. Focal neurologic deficits resolved in both patients, and their cognitive and memory problems improved slowly. Findings in these two divers raise the possibility that cerebral insult more frequently accompanies spinal cord injury in DCS than previously thought.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Automatic and effortful processing after severe closed head injury.

To investigate the automatic versus effortful distinction following severe closed head injury (CHI), we administered free recall and frequency of occurrence tasks to patients and controls. In Experiment 1 we found that both free recall (an effortful task) and judgment of relative frequency of occurrence (an automatic task) were impaired in 15 CHI patients as compared to 14 controls. In Experiment 2 we corroborated this finding and showed that absolute estimates of frequency were also impaired in new samples of 16 patients and 16 controls. We infer that cognitive tasks which normal individuals can perform without practice, feedback, or instructions may demand more effortful strategies following severe CHI.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Disproportionately severe memory deficit in relation to normal intellectual functioning after closed head injury.

The presence of disproportionate memory impairment with relatively preserved intellectual functioning was examined in 87 survivors of moderate or severe closed head injury. Approximately one-fourth of the patients tested at 5 to 15 and/or 16 to 42 months after injury manifested defective memory on both auditory and pictorial measures despite obtaining Wechsler Verbal and Performance Intelligence Quotients within the average range. The findings indicate that disproportionately severe memory deficit persists in a subgroup of closed head injured survivors which is reminiscent in some cases of the amnesic disturbance arising from other causes. Evaluation of long term memory in relation to cognitive ability could potentially identify important distinctions for prognosis and rehabilitation in head injured patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Memory functioning during the first year after closed head injury in children and adolescents.

Effects of the severity of closed head injury (CHI) on verbal learning and memory and visual recognition memory were studied at base line and on a 1-year follow-up examination in 58 pediatric admissions sampled from three age ranges, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-15 years. Within each age range, recovery of memory was compared in patients with mild to moderate CHI and survivors of severe injury. Consistent with previous findings obtained in head-injured children sampled from a wide age range, the present study confirms that memory deficit persists at least 1 year after severe CHI. Impairment of visual recognition memory was directly related to severity of CHI in all three age ranges. The severity of CHI was directly related to initial and residual verbal memory deficit in adolescents, but this effect was inconsistent in children. We suggest that the cerebral substrate for visual recognition memory was well established in all three age ranges and thus was vulnerable to the effects of injury. In contrast, verbal memory skills were undergoing rapid development in the adolescents, but were still immature in children. Extended follow-up could conceivably demonstrate the late appearance of verbal memory deficit in the children who had apparent sparing of function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Sustained attention and information processing speed in chronic survivors of severe closed head injury.

Sustained attention and information processing speed in 15 long-term survivors of severe closed head injury and 14 demographically matched controls have been examined. The average time between head injury and testing was 3.6 years. The performance of patients on all tasks was impaired relative to controls, thus documenting persistent deficits in attention. Of particular interest was the finding that controls were capable of redirecting and improving their sustained attention during a test session versus the steady decline in patient performance. The findings are discussed within the framework of controlled attentional processes.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Hemispheric disconnection syndrome persisting after anterior cerebral artery aneurysm rupture.

Hemispheric disconnection syndrome is a rarely reported sequela of aneurysm rupture. Serial neurobehavioral examinations of such a patient after clipping of a right pericallosal artery that had bled into a large portion of the corpus callosum disclosed defects in interhemispheric transfer of information and competitive movements between the left and right extremities. Although the patient's postoperative memory deficit subsequently resolved, his disconnection syndrome persisted and was primarily responsible for his disability despite otherwise normal neurological findings. We studied a second patient with a hematoma in the genu of the corpus callosum secondary to an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Although the second patient also exhibited postoperative memory problems, her hemispheric disconnection symptoms were minimal and commensurate with a more circumscribed corpus callosum lesion. Neurobehavioral sequelae of aneurysm or AVM rupture involving the anterior circulation, which may be overlooked in the absence of a detailed examination, can produce persistent disability in many patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Assessment of the accuracy of regression equations proposed for estimating premorbid intellectual functioning on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

This investigation examined the accuracy of regression equations proposed by Wilson et al. (1978) for estimating premorbid intellectual quotients (IQs) on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Actual Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs in a sample of 69 neurologically normal adults were compared against their estimated premorbid levels. While the equations provided an adequate overall fit to the data, actual IQ values at the extremes of the WAIS Scales were found to be most susceptible to underestimation (high actual IQ values) or overestimation (low actual IQ values). The clinical importance of this finding and possible applications of the equations are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Organization of verbal memory after severe closed-head injury.

Verbal learning and memory over repeated trials were studied in 12 severely closed-head-injured patients and a matched control group of 10 subjects for three types of word lists, i.e., unrelated, related but unclustered, and clustered words. Verbal memory was facilitated in both groups by presentation of related words in a clustered format. However, the performance of head-injured patients was characterized by low levels of recall, clustering, and subjective organization. In addition, they had a larger number of intrusive errors. The results provide evidence for some preserved semantic memory following closed-head injury and their implications for rehabilitation are discussed.

Adult↗