Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology
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J Clin Exp Neuropsychol · Jul 2006
Controlled Clinical TrialEmergency department assessment of mild traumatic brain injury and prediction of post-concussion symptoms at one month post injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common injury and a significant proportion of those affected report chronic symptoms. This study investigated prediction of post-concussion symptoms using an Emergency Department (ED) assessment that examined neuropsychological and balance deficits and pain severity of 29 concussed individuals. Thirty participants with minor orthopedic injuries and 30 ED visitors were recruited as control subjects. ⋯ They also reported significantly more post-concussive symptoms at follow-up. Neurocognitive impairment, pain and balance deficits were all significantly correlated with severity of post-concussion symptoms. The findings suggest that a combination of variables assessable in the ED may be useful in predicting which individuals will suffer persistent post-concussion problems.
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J Clin Exp Neuropsychol · Jul 2006
Comparative StudyConstruct and concurrent validity of the Dementia Rating Scale-2 Alternate Form.
The Dementia Rating Scale-2: Alternate Form (DRS-2: AF) was developed by Schmidt (2004) for use in serial neuropsychological assessments with the original DRS-2 (Jurica, Leitten, & Mattis, 2001). Results from two preliminary validation studies of the DRS-2: AF are presented here. In Study 1, the DRS-2: AF and four additional neuropsychological measures were administered to 49 healthy, community-dwelling participants without dementia; convergent and discriminant correlational analyses provide evidence for the construct validity of four DRS-2: AF subscales (Attention, Initiation/ Perseveration, Conceptualization, Memory). ⋯ A strong correlation was found between the MMSE and DRS-2: AF Total Score. When DRS-2: AF Total Scores were subjected to a discriminant function analysis, Total Scores accurately classified 61 of the 65 participants into the appropriate patient group (dementia vs. comparison). The results of these preliminary validation studies are robust, and suggest that the DRS-2: AF may be a useful measure when serial assessments with the DRS-2 are needed.
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J Clin Exp Neuropsychol · Aug 2005
Comparative StudyValidity of ImPACT for measuring processing speed following sports-related concussion.
The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), a computerized neuropsychological test battery, for measuring attention and processing speed in athletes with concussions. This was accomplished by comparing the computerized testing to a traditional neuropsychological measure, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). ⋯ The composite scores from ImPACT and the SDMT were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, revealing a two-factor solution interpreted as Speed/Reaction Time and Memory. It appears as if the Processing Speed Composite, Reaction Time Composite, and SDMT are measuring a similar underlying construct in this sample of concussed amateur athletes.
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J Clin Exp Neuropsychol · Apr 2005
Comparative StudyNeuropsychological impairment as a consequence of football (soccer) play and football heading: preliminary analyses and report on university footballers.
Previous research has claimed neuropsychological impairment occurs as a result of professional and amateur football play, and, specifically, football heading. However, much of this research exhibits substantial methodological problems. By investigating less committed amateur level footballers, the current study sought to gain some insight into the developmental history of any neuropsychological consequences of football play. ⋯ After controlling for the number of head injuries sustained, sport group effects were detected with TAP Divided Attention accuracy scores, with footballers exhibiting poorest performance. After controlling for the number of head injuries sustained, the total amount of heading done by footballers predicted the number of Wisconsin Card Sorting category shifts in a negative fashion. Nevertheless, over interpretation of all of these results should be resisted because of the exploratory nature of the analyses and the possibility that the sport groups may differ in ways other than just the nature of their sports activities.
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J Clin Exp Neuropsychol · Feb 2005
Comparative StudyNeuropsychological functioning and MMPI-2 profiles in chronic neck pain: a comparison of whiplash and non-traumatic groups.
We measured the neuropsychological functioning in 42 patients with chronic neck pain, 21 with a whiplash trauma and 21 without previous trauma. Subjectively, the whiplash group was more forgetful and had more concentration difficulties compared with the non-traumatic group. The neuropsychological tests did not reveal any differences between the two groups and a reference group of healthy individuals. ⋯ We also found that the whiplash group had more divergent test results than the non-traumatic group on the MMPI-2 test. Thus, it seems that the health status in those with chronic neck pain is closely linked to separate personality traits. It is concluded that the subjective complaints and poor performance in patients with chronic neck pain may be associated to somatization and inadequate coping, especially in chronic whiplash patients.