Eric A. Zillmer

A multifactor model of the Halstead‐Reitan neuropsychological test battery and its relationship to cognitive status and psychiatric diagnosis

An oblique, five-factor model of a modified Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery is presented. One hundred fifty-one neuropsychiatric inpatients (94 men, 57 women) were examined on 44 neuropsychological indices. Five correlated dimensions (r = .25), viz., Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Sensory-attention, Primary Motor, and Tactile-spatial abilities, were identified by maximum likelihood factor analyses of this correlation matrix. These findings are quite similar to those reported earlier by Fowler, Richards, Berent, and Boll (1985, 1987) and Royce, Yeudall, and Bock (1976). The factors may be broadly categorized using the distinction made by Lezak (1983) for verbal, nonverbal, and mental activity variables. MANOVAs revealed systematic relationships between simple-weighted factor scores and: (1) the overall level of cognitive functioning (p less than .01), as well as (2) psychiatric diagnosis (p less than .01). Implications of these findings for understanding the impact of neuropsychiatric disorders on the structure of abilities for such patients are developed.

Neurobehavioral Sequelae of Subcutaneous Injection with Metallic Mercury

A 19 year old, white male, with nine years of education, attempted suicide by injection of metallic mercury (Hg) into the left forearm. CT scan findings suggesting mercury infiltration of the brain and results from urinalysis indicated clinically high levels of Hg excretion. Premorbid cognitive history was essentially normal, yet comprehensive neuropsychological assessment revealed significant impairment of higher cortical functioning beyond those expected of a moderately to severely disturbed psychiatric patient. Neuropsychological test results appear to offer a more sensitive, quantitative assessment of heavy metal toxicity.

WAIS factor pattern for neuropsychiatric inpatients

The current study examines the factor pattern of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale for a sample of 151 neuropsychiatric inpatients (97 men, 54 women). As expected, these patients performed less well on all 11 of the subtests and ranged from .60 to 1.54 SD below normative standards. These patients were neither more variable nor were the intercorrelations among the subtests lower than those of the normative group. As in previous research, maximum likelihood factor analyses revealed the presence of a Verbal Comprehension dimension and a Perceptual Organization dimension, factors that were moderately correlated (.60). The stability of a two-factor solution for the WAIS in this population and its implications for the inclusion of the WAIS as a component of a neuropsychological assessment paradigm are discussed.

Characteristics and correlates of MMPI change within an adult psychiatric inpatient setting

This study investigated characteristics and correlates of MMPI change scores among 188 male and female inpatients who were assessed at admission and upon completion of a 9-week residential program. Predictor variables included admission scores from the standard 13 MMPI scales, the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, the trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Shipley-Hartford Verbal IQ scores, as well as demographic variables including factors that involved psychiatric history. Outcome variables consisted of change scores based on raw score values for each of the 13 MMPI scales. Results of a canonical correlation indicated a significant relationship between predictor and outcome variables, which cumulatively accounted for 27% of the variance of outcome change scores. Findings were discussed in terms of implications for research and theory in the areas of the measurement of psychological change through use of the MMPI.