Biomedical subjects

S Arffa

Publications and source records attributed to S Arffa.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Use of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test short forms with school-age children.

Short forms of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) have been developed and studied in adult populations, however studies addressing their use in children are lacking. This study compared the full WCST to two short forms in a sample of 174 school-age children who were referred for neuropsychological evaluation. Multiple regression was used to predict standard scores (SSs) on the full WCST. Percent scores were obtained, and normative data from the WCST manual was then used to obtain SSs. We found that scores from the short forms were significantly correlated with corresponding scores on the full WCST, however a high proportion of children obtained short form SSs, which differed significantly from the SSs obtained on the full WCST. It is recommended that clinicians use the full WCST with children, unless at least four categories are reached in the first deck.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in above average and superior school children: relationship to intelligence and age.

This study explores the relationship of intelligence and age to scores on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a measure of executive function. A sample of 26 normal children with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) Full-Scale IQS above 130 and 24 normal children with WISC-III Full-Scale IQS between 110 and 129 were administered the test. A comparison to published norms revealed that above average children outperformed the average 9- to 14-year-old child on every measure at every age. Multiple regression analyses statistically related the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, perseverative, nonperseverative, total errors, and trials to the first category of intelligence. Intelligence proved to be a significant qualifier of age trends. Gender relationships were nonsignificant in a preliminary analysis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1989

Neuropsychological profiles of children with learning disabilities and children with documented brain damage.

This study sought to identify clusters or subtypes of children with learning disabilities (LD) and documented brain damage (BD) on the basis of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Sixty subjects, 24 with LD and 36 with BD, participated in the study. The standard scores for several measures from the Intermediate Battery of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery and other select measures were submitted to Q-Technique factor analysis for the entire sample. Five clusters were determined. No one cluster was composed exclusively of LD or BD subjects, with the proportions of LD and BD varying considerably from one cluster to the next. There were some qualitative differences between the clusters, while quantitative differences also figured prominently.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗

PubMed1983

Cognition and suicide: a methodological review.

This article reviews the literature related to studies measuring various cognitive properties in suicidal patients. It provides a structural framework with which to classify the studies, and employs the categories of suicidal logic, cognitive style, social cognition, and cognitive control. The methodological issues discussed include: sample characteristics, operational definitions of suicidal behaviors, use of appropriate control groups, and the temporal nature of assessment. Improvements in experimental design are suggested for use in future research.

Attitude↗

PubMed1982

Predicting adolescent suicidal behavior and the order of Rorschach measurement.

A total of 48 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents were divided into four groups according to the sequence of suicidal behavior and measurement: (a) Previous Attempt Only, (b) Unit Attempt Only, (c) Dual Attempt, and (d) Nonsuicidal Control. A composite Rorschach Multiple Sign score was tabulated for each subject. An analysis of variance applied to the composite Rorschach scores was significant beyond the .001 level, with all suicide groups differing from the Control. It was determined that the sequence of assessment was not a significant factor. A cutoff score of four signs was identified as a predictor of suicidal behavior. None of the individual signs proved to differ significantly among the four groups.

Adolescent↗