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H Wolfram

Publications and source records attributed to H Wolfram.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Comparison of psychodiagnostic methods for dementia and deterioration].

Several cognitive impairment/dementia diagnostic methods were examined concerning their results: (a) in the differentiation of accidental and pathological ability changes; (b) in the demonstration/exclusion of cognitive impairment; and (c) the degree of dementia. Sixty-five patients suffering from brain damage were examined with five accepted methods of diagnosing dementia (Syndrom-kurztest, KAI-MWT-Methode, Demenz-Test, Mini-Mental-Status-Test, Wurzer-Methode) and a comprehensive performance test battery as an external criterion for valid determination of the degree of dementia and definite differentiation of accidental and pathological performance changes. The five methods of diagnosing dementia differ appreciably in determining the degree of severity (r = 0.44). They are effective in registering accidental performance changes in comparison with the outer criterion, but pathological changes are inaccurately registered (hit rate 88%/53%); the results concerning the degree of cognitive impairment are identical: between 25 and 43% (r = 0.43). High rates (58%) of false-negative diagnoses are especially apparent in the range of slight and intermediate cognitive impairment. The methods examined are only useful for the demonstration and not for the exclusion of severe cognitive impairment (dementia) and in no circumstances for the registration of slight/intermediate cognitive impairment. Valid diagnosis of cognitive impairment/dementia necessitates the use of test batteries that differentiate functions including the premorbid performance level.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Value of the brief neuropsychological tests for detection of acquired cognitive deficits. Exemplified by the Lehrl and Fischer c.I. (cerebral insufficiency) test].

The aim of the study was to find whether the c.I. test is useful for the exclusion and the demonstration of acquired cognitive deficits. In all, 195 patients with brain damage and 68 neurotic patients were examined with the c.I. test and with a comprehensive number of neuropsychological tests. The hit rate of the c.I.-test for the whole group was 67% and lay lower than the base rate of 74% brain damaged patients respectively only unessentially higher than the base rate of 64% patients with unambiguous acquired cognitive deficits. There were very low hit rates especially in patients with absent (46%) or low-grade cognitive deficit (54%) and with low (55%) or with high premorbid mental abilities (55%). Both the low correlations between the c.I. test and the validity criterion as well as the considerable overlapping of the c.I. test raw score distributions, grouped by grades of cognitive deficits, indicate serious deficiencies in the test. The extremely brief c.I. test possesses an inadequate grade of difficulty and cannot detect low- and medium-grade acquired cognitive deficits, and its orientation to ability-related global syndromes means that partial, multifactorial and general cognitive deficits are neglected. The c.I. test is therefore not useful as a screening method for the diagnosis of acquired cognitive deficits.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[The course of restitution of learning and concentrating ability in chronic alcoholics in the 1st year of abstinence].

Aim of our investigation was the analysis of the performances of chronic alcoholics under abstinence. 3 groups of 30 alcoholics were investigated after 3 weeks, 3 months and one year and compared with a group of control (n = 30). The most essential results: Strong increase in the first 3 month, after only slow increase. The level of healthy population has been attained nearly but not complete. The restitution is independent of the age and sex but significant dependent to the type of drinking (gamma- and deltadrinker). This results are important for the occupational rehabilitation of alcoholics after therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Emotional status and results of a psychological performance test].

Relationships between cognitive and emotional factors were proved in numerous investigations. The aim of our study was to examine the quantitative influence of the emotional state on the results in psychological performance tests. We tested 38 healthy subjects and 38 neurotic subjects with two mood scales and five performance tests. The results show, that generally only the smallest relationship exists between the actual psychic state and the results in the performance tests. However, under test conditions, in the case of subjects with emotional disturbances (scores on the mood scales are placed below the normal range) there is a noticeable difference. The application of mood scales in the clinical diagnoses is to be recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Psychological test differentiation of neurotic and organically induced performance disorders].

Current methods of diagnosing psychological performance, which are primarily status-oriented, are inadequate to permit satisfactory differentiation between brain-organically and neurotically induced performance disturbances. We therefore attempted to contribute to the solution of this problem by adopting a new psychodiagnostic approach (measurement of intraindividual variability) and using multi-point measurements with the aid of attentiveness tests. The fact that 80 to 90% of 254 neurotic and brain-damaged subjects could be correctly diagnosed in the way indicates that the new approach to performance diagnosis is suitable for clinical use.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Empirical studies of the long-term stability of test norms].

Investigation of the long-term stability of psychological efficiency standards using a frequently applied intelligence test (Hawie -verbalpart). The test value distribution of two representative random tests of adults (from the beginning of 1950 in the FRG and from 1980 to 1983 in the GDR) was investigated and a comparison made together. Significant efficiency differences between the two random tests indicate defective long-term stability of test standards and the necessity to restandardize after 20 to 30 years. Because of significant differences between the old and new standard values and the high percentage of errors (26%), in classifying intelligence when applying the old standard values, the application of the new standards in the clinical diagnosis of intelligence is to be recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Chronic alcoholism and psychological abilities].

On the basis of the experience gained in clinical psychiatry, the works of the last ten years on experimental-psychological efficiency diagnostics with respect to chronic alcoholics are compiled and arranged according to the more important efficiency-psychological scopes. The comparisons that have been made in the quoted, non-selected studies between alcoholics and control groups corroborate that chronic alcoholism leads to a multidimensional damage structure which is test-psychologically provable. In conclusion, factors that may lead to different reductions in efficiency and hypotheses about the connection between chronic alcoholism and efficiency are discussed.

Alcohol Amnestic Disorder↗
PubMed1982

[Remarks on the value of psychological efficiency diagnostics for the diagnosis and therapy of alcoholism--response to Szewczyk on our "Chronic alcoholism and psychological efficiency"].

For a clarification of different viewpoints with respect to the importance of efficiency-diagnostic studies in chronic alcoholism, First the question is studied whether there is a common basis of judgement with Szewczyk. On the basis of examples it is shown that there is no agreement with regard to essential facts and contrary conclusions are drawn. The necessity of efficiency-psychological studies of the amnestic psychosyndrome as a constituting components of alcoholic changes of the personality is, for example, derived from diagnostic and therapeutical questions concerning the degree of severity and the pattern of the course of the disease. In progressing alcoholism, the constituting component "amnestic psychosyndrome" is frequently the dominating component in the sense of a pronounced organic psychosyndrome. After long-term abstinence, remarkable improvements of cognitive performances have been found with differentiating efficiency-diagnostic methods. From these facts alone the conclusion can be drawn that there is a wide range of indications for efficiency-diagnostic longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in chronic alcoholics.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1978

[To the question of borderline case between psychology and psychopathology in higher age (author's transl)].

Proceeding from the general problems of geropsychiatric lines of research, a number of developments of psychitc functions (intelligence, memory, speed of psychic-cognitive and psychomotor processes, cerebral fatigue, concentration power, higher perception functions) are discussed in dependence on the age. The paper explains that the process of ageing has different effects on the various psychic subfunctions. This fact is of great significance for rehabilitative measures for old-age people.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

[Application of the multiple vocabulary test to determining premorbid intelligence levels].

The authors present three basic approaches to solving the problem of determining the premorbid level of intelligence for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. The indirect way of measuring the premorbid level of intelligence was chosen because of the empirical nature of this approach and the possibility of establishing a firm basis for this. Using a number of samples, it has been possible to show that the multiple vocabulary test satisfies all requirements that must be made of a method of measuring the premorbid level of intelligence. They are above all independence of aging and disease processes as well as a high level of internal validity. Results to date indicate that the multiple vocabulary test is a useful method of rapidly and reliably determining the general level of intelligence. Its special importance lies in the fact that it allows the premorbid level of intelligence to be ascertained, thus contributing to an empirical elucidation of problems associated with decreases in proficiency and general mental deterioration due to organic or psychological factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Application of the multiple vocabulary test to assessing mental disorders].

The multiple vocabulary test has been used to investigate approaches to objectifying general mental deterioration. Compared to methods used to determine the actual level of intelligence, the premorbid levels of intelligence which were determined with the use of the multiple vocabulary test were roughly the same for patients with brain injuries that cannot be detected by means of specialized instruments. In the case of patients where brain injuries were detectable through the use of instruments, the premorbid level of intelligence was significantly higher than the actual intelligence level. Patients with general mental deterioration showed highly significant differences between premorbid and actual levels of intelligence. The results obtained indicate that the multiple vocabulary test is a useful means of diagnosing general mental deterioration due to organic or psychological factors. Also discussed by the authors in their present paper are hitherto unsolved problems that stand in the way of an objective diagnosis of dementia and loss of intelligence.

Humans↗