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Biomedical subjects

W Mittenberg

Publications and source records attributed to W Mittenberg.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised standardization sample.

A maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis was preformed by applying LISREL to the variance-covariance matrix obtained from standardization of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) (N = 316). Analyses were designed to determine which of seven hypothesized factor solutions could best explain memory function as measured by the WMS-R. Competing latent variable models were identified in previous exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic studies. The measurement error matrix was set to remove method variance shared by the immediate and delayed trials of the same subtest. Hypothesized factors were fixed and allowed to correlate. Results indicated that a three-factor model, including Attention/Concentration, Immediate and Delayed Memory, explained 91% of the score variance and produced a significantly better fit than the Attention/Concentration--General Memory or Attention Concentration--Visual/Verbal Memory solutions. Findings support previous work suggesting that the WMS-R measures separate memory functions, and that the verbal/nonverbal Index distinction may not be a viable one.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Effects of chronic cocaine abuse on memory and learning.

Sixteen chronic (M = 5 years) weekly cocaine users who were at least 10 days (M = 20 days) abstinent were compared to age, education, race, and gender matched controls on the California Verbal Learning Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Vocabulary, and Block Design. Subjects with developmental disorder, neurological, psychiatric, or other substance abuse history were excluded. Cocaine subjects learned and recalled fewer words than controls, but did not differ on IQ. Results suggested significant residual impairment in verbal learning efficiency subsequent to chronic cocaine use that results from memory storage difficulties rather than attentional impairment or general intellectual reduction. A dose-response relationship is suggested.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Symptoms following mild head injury: expectation as aetiology.

An affective, somatic, and memory check-list of symptoms was administered to subjects who had no personal experience or knowledge of head injury. Subjects indicated their current experiences of symptoms, then imagined having sustained a mild head injury in a motor vehicle accident, and endorsed symptoms they expected to experience six months after the injury. The checklist of symptoms was also administered to a group of patients with head injuries for comparison. Imaginary concussion reliably showed expectations in controls of a coherent cluster of symptoms virtually identical to the postconcussion syndrome reported by patients with head trauma. Patients consistently underestimated the premorbid prevalence of these symptoms compared with the base rate in controls. Symptom expectations appear to share as much variance with postconcussion syndrome as head injury itself. An aetiological role is suggested.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Intellectual loss in Alzheimer's dementia and WAIS-R intrasubtest scatter.

Patterns of intrasubtest scatter in the WAIS-R protocols of patients (n = 32) with Alzheimer's disease were compared to those of normal elderly controls (n = 32). The Alzheimer's patients showed more randomly dispersed item failures on some subtests, but normal controls showed more intrasubtest variability on other measures. Rates of correct diagnostic classification based on scatter measures were only slightly better than chance despite the presence of prominent anomia, memory impairment, construction apraxia, and significant decline from premorbid intellectual level in demented patients. In contrast, demographically based estimates of intellectual loss produced accurate diagnostic classification in 81% of the cases. The incremental validity of qualitative scatter analysis in the evaluation of suspected Alzheimer's disease appears to be minimal.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Neuropsychological test findings in subjects with leukoaraiosis.

Focal periventricular white-matter changes (leukoaraiosis) have been identified incidentally on brain imaging in normal healthy individuals and more commonly in the elderly and in hypertensive individuals. It has been suggested that leukoaraiosis represents the early stages of Binswanger's leukoencephalopathy, a dementing process thought to be related to hypertensive cerebrovascular disease. To test this hypothesis, extensive neuropsychological tests were administered to 50 consecutive normotensive, middle-aged, healthy volunteers. Ten subjects (20%) had white-matter changes on magnetic resonance scans; 40 subjects (80%) had normal scans. The differences observed on neuropsychological testing between subjects with and without leukoaraiosis were not significant. While this study argues against a link between leukoaraiosis and dementia, prospective longitudinal studies are needed to determine the value of leukoaraiosis in predicting future cognitive decline.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Changes in cerebral functioning associated with normal aging.

It has been suggested that the normal aging process is characterized by a pattern of neuropsychological performance decline that implies relatively greater vulnerability of right-hemisphere functions. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 68 volunteers aged 20-75 who were free of systemic and neurologic illness. Neuropsychologic measures of lateralized and focal function were specifically selected to eliminate systematic procedural differences among tests (e.g., timed vs. untimed, overlearned vs. unfamiliar). Inferences about the localizing significance of each measure were based on previously demonstrated double dissociation of function in lesion studies. Results suggested that declines in cerebral efficiency are not differentially lateralized. Age correlated performance changes implied bilateral reduction that was significantly more pronounced on operations associated with frontal-lobe function. Anatomic and theoretical explanations for this pattern were discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Validity of the Luria-Nebraska language scales in aphasia.

The language scales of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) were administered to patients classified as either Broca's (n = 7) or Wernicke's (n = 7) aphasics. Group comparisons were made on the standard scales (e.g., Receptive Speech, Expressive Speech, Reading & Writing) and on 13 factor-analytically derived subscales (McKay & Golden, 1981). Results indicated that the standard T-score profile failed to discriminate the distinctively different language syndromes. Only two of the 13 factor scales differentiated the groups. Although Wernicke's patients were more impaired than Broca's patients on factor-analytically derived measures of basic language comprehension, it was concluded that the subscales added little to the standard profile in terms of aphasia syndrome identification. Distinctively different profiles of impaired and retained language abilities did not emerge on the LNNB factor scales. The battery cannot be recommended for use with aphasic patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Short-term memory and averaged evoked cortical potentials.

Cortical electrical activity reflected by changes in N1 and CNV evoked potentials was compared to performance on a battery of neuropsychological measures of attention and short-term memory. Results supported the hypothesis that N1 reflects the accuracy of the short term memory image. Attentional processes indexed by CNV also appeared to be involved in establishing the memory trace. The two cortical generators appear to interact in some types of short-term memory tasks, but not in others.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Validation of the Holtzman anxiety scale by vasomotor biofeedback.

The Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 81 undergraduates who later received biofeedback training for increases in index finger skin temperature. The Holtzman anxiety measure correlated significantly with voluntary temperature increase and the High Anxiety Group, identified by the HIT, was able to achieve significant increases in digital temperature. No significant relationships were found between State-Trait Anxiety measures and either Holtzman anxiety scores or vasomotor control, nor were there significant increases in temperature among State-Trait anxiety groups. The results supported the validity of the HIT as a measure of anxiety, but failed to characterize this anxiety as either state or trait in nature.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Approaches to memory assessment in the chronic psychiatric elderly.

Approaches to memory assessment generally fall into two categories: a) Evaluation of the integrity of specific cognitive processes, and b) Quantitative measurement of performance levels on global dimensions of behavior. The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) is an exemplar of both the process and global approaches, while the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) represents the global approach. Despite the popularity of both instruments little extant research, examining their convergent/divergent properties or their compatibility, exists. In the present study we replicated, on a mixed sample of normal and psychiatric elderly, a previous study's pattern of CVLT/WMS-R convergent and divergent findings. In addition, we found that both instruments are similar in their discrimination between normal and psychiatric elderly subjects.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Executive and compensatory memory retraining in traumatic brain injury.

A controlled treatment outcome study was conducted comparing the efficacy of memory remediation treatment with no treatment on traumatic brain-injury patients. The memory remediation treatment consisted of both compensatory and executive training skills and was delivered 6 hours weekly over a 2 1/2-week period. Six subjects in the treatment group and 6 subjects in the control group were matched on WAIS-R FSIQ scores, pre-test memory scores and age. Pre- and post-test measures were obtained for both groups on a paragraph memory task. A significant difference was demonstrated between the treatment and control post-test memory scores. The experimental group significantly improved memory scores beyond that of the control group, suggesting that memory remediation is effective for head-injury patients with memory deficits. Discussion of findings and suggestions for further investigation are presented.

Activities of Daily Living↗