Donald E. Trahan

Relationships among postconcussional-type symptoms, depression, and anxiety in neurologically normal young adults and victims of mild brain injury

This study investigated the relationship between self-reports of postconcussional symptoms, depression, and anxiety in neurologically normal young adults and recovered victims of mild head injuries (MHI). The participants were 496 young adults with no history of MHI or depression, 56 neurologically normal individuals with clinical depression, and 40 people with history of MHI. All completed the Beaumont Postconcussional Index (BPCI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Groups were compared on frequency and severity of postconcussional symptoms, as well as general symptoms. Analysis revealed high correlations between scores on the Postconcussional Index (PCI) and the BDI-II (r=0.68) as well as between PCI and BAI (r=0.64). Correlations between BDI-II, BAI, and the General Symptom Index (GSI) were modest, but significant (r=0.44 and 0.48, respectively). MHI participants reported minimally higher scores on the PCI than the normative group. However, depressed individuals exhibited substantially higher endorsement of PCI symptoms and modestly higher endorsement of GSI symptoms than either the normative or MHI groups. The potential rule that depression can have in producing, exacerbating, and maintaining PCS-like symptoms must be considered when evaluating and treating victims of MHI.

Normative Data for a Six-Trial Administration of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test

Normative data for 267 neurologically normal adults (age range 18–91) are provided for a six-trial administration of Form I of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test (VSRT; Hannay & Levin, 1985). Gender corrections were generated by age- and education-matched pair analyses of the VSRT performance of 82 males and 82 females. Normative data are grouped by seven age cohorts: 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and 80–91. A regression-based procedure is provided, so that existing delayed recall norms, based on a 12-trial administration, can be utilized, following a 6-trial administration.

Visual recognition memory in normal adults and patients with unilateral vascular lesions

Visual recognition memory was examined in 310 normal adults (age range 18-91) and 60 patients with unilateral vascular lesions (30 right, 30 left) using the Continuous Visual Memory Test (CVMT). Significant age-related differences were found for both acquisition and delayed phases of the CVMT, with older subjects performing lower on all variables. Data from clinical groups revealed that both patients with left-hemisphere (LCVA) and right-hemisphere (RCVA) lesions performed below age-matched controls. However, RCVA patients performed significantly worse than LCVA patients. Data generally supported the double-dissociation hypothesis, with a majority of RCVA patients exhibiting impaired visual memory but preserved verbal memory, and vice versa for LCVA patients. Results also suggested that the CVMT Delayed task was less susceptible to potentially confounding effects of visual-spatial and verbal ability than was the acquisition phase.

Development and clinical validation of an expanded paired associate test with delayed recall

Abstract This study provided a normative data base for the Expanded Paired Associate Test (EPAT) and examined the tests clinical sensitivity in four groups of patients. Normative data were based on 306 neurologically normal adults (age range 18–91). Clinical groups included patients with severe head trauma (n = 36), left-hemisphere CVA (n = 25), right-hemisphere CVA (n = 61), and Alzheimers Disease (n = 12). Analysis of normative data revealed significant age-related differences, with older subjects performing lower on both the Acquisition and Delayed Tasks. Group data revealed that patients in all four clinical groups performed significantly below age-matched controls. Further analysis revealed that virtually all the variability, and hence the predictability, of the test was a function of the hard associate pairs. EPAT scores did not correlate significantly with education or a measure of verbal intellectual ability.

Clinical and methodological issues in measuring rate of forgetting with the verbal selective reminding test.

This study used a verbal selective reminding paradigm to examine rate of forgetting in a sample of 287 normal adults (age range = 18-91 years). Results revealed that older subjects performed below levels obtained by younger ones on several measures of acquisition and delayed recall. Data also revealed very modest differences in rate of forgetting. However, the pattern of differences in forgetting varied, depending on the index used to measure what was stored during acquisition. Older adults obtained marginally higher forgetting rates using 2 of 3 indexes but exhibited less forgetting when another index was used. Data suggested that using the Trial 12 score for long-term storage (Buschke & Fuld, 1974) to calculate forgetting may be more valid from a practical and theoretical standpoint than using other learning measures

Analysis of learning and rate of forgetting in age-associated memory differences

This study used a visual free-recall paradigm to examine rate of forgetting in a sample of 255 normal adults (age range 18-91 years). Subjects were administered the Visual Reproduction Subtest (VR) from Form I of the Wechsler Memory Scale, along with a 30-min delayed-recall procedure. Results revealed that older adults performed below levels obtained by younger ones on both phases of the VR. However, analysis revealed no differences among age groups in rate of forgetting. Lower scores for older subjects on the delayed-recall task appeared to reflect differences in initial learning, not an accelerated rate of forgetting. Normative data for rate of forgetting were provided for adults in all age groups.

Preliminary Children's Norms for the Continuous Visual Memory Test

Abstract Normative data from 138 children (67 females, and 71 males) in grades 1 through 5 were obtained for the Continuous Visual Memory Test (CVMT), a measure of nonverbal, visual recognition memory that has been found previously to be useful with adult clinical populations. A clear developmental pattern was observed, with performance of children at ail grades falling below adult performance levels. Older children performed better than did younger children. Gender effects were not significant. Most indices of CVMT test performance correlated modestly with other memory measures, but not with academic achievement scores.

Continuous visual memory test: Alternate form and generalizability estimates

Abstract The Continuous Visual Memory Test (CVMT) employs complex ambiguous designs and a recognition format to assess visual memory. The CVMT has proven sensitive to effects of head trauma, Alzheimers Disease, unilateral right-hemisphere CVA, and normal aging. Recently, an alternate form for the CVMT was developed. This study examined the equivalence of Forms I and II. Subjects were 40 normal adults and 52 patients of mixed neurological and psychiatric etiology. Subjects were administered both forms of the CVMT. Data analysis revealed no significant differences between forms for either the acquisition or delayed tasks. Generalizability coefficients ranged from .45 to .72. Variance attributable to differences in CVMT form was essentially zero. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that age but not education or gender significantly predicted all CVMT scores.