Differential sensitivity of the WMS to the effects of IQ and brain damage.

The sensitivity of the Wechsler Memory Scale with Russell's Revision to the effects of IQ and brain damage was assessed in groups of brain-damaged (N = 64) and nonbrain-damaged (N = 64) subjects. Brain-damaged and nonbrain-damaged subjects were divided into subgroups equated on age and IQ for each of three IQ ranges (80-89, 90-99, 100-109). Some Wechsler Memory Scale subtests were affected only by IQ, others were affected by IQ and brain-damage status, and still others were affected only by brain-damage status. Measures of recall efficiency were most useful in discriminating brain-damaged and nonbrain-damaged subjects. We concluded that specific Wechsler Memory Scale subtests are useful in assessing memory deficits in brain-damaged patients.     

Effects of demographic factors and mental status on wechsler memory scale performance in a geriatric clinic sample

A sample of 114 geriatric clinic patients over the age of 64 were referred by primary‐care physicians secondary to memory complaints. All patients were administered the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and the Mini‐Mental State Exam (MMSE). Hierarchical multiple‐regression analyses using WMS total raw score as the dependent measure and age, education, and MMSE raw scores as predictors were conducted for the entire sample as well as for high‐scoring and low‐scoring MMSE groups within the sample. Age failed to predict a significant amount of WMS total score variance in any of the groups studied. General mental status (as measured by MMSE) was a significant predictor across all the groups. Education was a statistically significant predictor in the entire sample and in the low‐scoring MMSE group. Reasons for the observed patterns are discussed as they pertain to this special patient sample.     

精神分裂症患者短时和瞬时记忆因子与精神症状严重性的关系

目的:探究精神分裂症患者精神症状严重程度对其记忆测试得分的影响。方法:对80例符合DSM-Ⅳ诊断标准的精神分裂症住院患者进行阳性与阴性症状量表(PANSS)、韦氏记忆力测试(Wechsler Memory Scale,WMS)的短时和瞬时记忆(再认、图片、联想、背数4项因子)测评,比较其间是否具有相关性。结果:通过双变量相关分析,精神分裂症患者PANSS阳性症状得分与WMS短时和瞬时记忆总得分具有显著负相关(r=-0.293,P=0.008),精神分裂症患者PANSS总得分与WMS短时和瞬时记忆总得分具有显著负相关(r=-0.285,P=0.010),精神分裂症患者PANSS一般精神症状得分与WMS短时和瞬时记忆总得分具有显著负相关(r=-0.230,P=0.040)。结论:精神分裂症患者精神症状严重程度(尤其是阳性症状得分)对其WMS短时和瞬时记忆测试得分产生显著的影响。     

Memory impairment in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in cirrhotic patients is usually characterized by memory impairment and psychomotor slowing. Our aim was to investigate memory status in cirrhotic patients with and without clinically overt HE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two cirrhotic patients (10 female and 22 male) aged 49 +/- 17 years and 20 healthy subjects (six female and 14 male) aged 46 +/- 12 years were included in the study. Memory status was defined by Wechsler Memory Scale, verbal memory process and complex memory process tests. RESULTS: Grade-1 HE was detected in 7 (22%) patients with cirrhosis. We detected 36 to 92% decrement in various memory tests in cirrhotic patients without HE as compared to healthy subjects. The scores for all psychometric testing results were significantly lower in cirrhotic patients without HE as compared to healthy subjects. We detected 42.9 to 100% decrement in various memory tests in cirrhotic patients with HE than cirrhotic patients without HE. However, there was no statistical significant difference between cirrhotic patients with and without HE. There was no statistical significant difference in cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh A, B, and C. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, memory status was influenced in which patients with cirrhosis yet has a normal mental and neurological status to routine clinical examination (subclinical HE). Occasionally, decreased memory performance may adversely affect the satisfaction and lifestyle of these patients. Therefore, subclinical HE is an important social problem.     

听觉词语记忆测验在中国老人中的试用分析

目的：编制适用于中国老人记忆评定的中文版听觉词语记忆测验（AVMT）。方法：100例正常老人和22例轻－中度Alzheimer病（AD）患者完成AVMT和简明精神状态量表,从正常老人样本中随机选择40例完成AVMT复测和韦氏记忆测验（WMS－RC）、韦氏智力测验中文修订版的知识和相似性2个分测验。结果：（1）AVMT一致性为0．99;3个月后复测相关性为0．87－0．94;AVMT历次记忆的相关性为0．66－0．94;（2）AVMT记忆和再认的相关因素为教育程度;（3）第3次回忆和“短延迟回忆”与WMS－RC总分的相关性比其余4次回忆的强;而“长延迟回忆”和语言智力分测验得分的相关性比其余5次回忆的强;（4）AD组记忆和再认得分显著低于正常对照组,尤以延迟回忆及其语义串联得分差异最大。结论：中文版听觉词语记忆测验具有较好的信度和效度。     

Memory impairment in patients with late-onset major depression: the effect of antidepressant therapy

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits have been described in patients with major depression (MD), although many aspects remain unsettled. METHOD: During an episode of MD and after remission we used tasks exploring attention, implicit, anterograde and retrograde memory to investigate 48 drug-free patients aged over 50 years without dementia, comparing them with 15 normal volunteer controls (NC). We also evaluated the effect of antidepressant therapy (ADT) with fluoxetine (F) or reboxetine (R) at baseline (T0) and six months later (T6). RESULTS: 42 patients completed the study and 6 dropped out; 33 patients were considered "Remitters" (RP) (17 F pts and 16 R pts). At T0, the entire group of MD patients (MDP) had worse performances than NC in Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) total score (TS), in a few subtests of WMS and in autobiographical memory. RP at T0 had the same impaired tasks and at T6 had significantly improved in MMSE, WMS. TS and many memory tests but they still differed from NC in a few complex tasks requiring more cognitive effort. LIMITATIONS: The effects and differences between F and R must be viewed with caution considering the relatively small sample; only attention and memory were investigated. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm a negative effect of depression on memory with a significant but incomplete improvement after remission and without differences between F and R. We speculate that both a "state" and a "trait" depressive component underlie this memory impairment.     

Age differences in Wechsler Memory Scale performance

Calculated mean scores for older persons utilizing data from previous studies that measured Wechsler Memory Scale performance in healthy samples and compared with those of younger adults and a sample of neurologically impaired aged (N = 384). Statistical analysis indicated that in total raw scores, as well as in all subtest scores but Digit Span, there are significant differences in the performance of different age groups. The degree to which age is associated with subtest performance varies depending on the particular subtest involved. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical implications and current theories of aging and memory.     

韦氏记忆量表中国修订本在儿童中的应用

韦氏记忆量表系列是临床心理评估中被广泛应用的评估工具之一.本文试图对近年来韦氏记忆量表中国修订本在国内儿童中的应用情况进行简单总结.发现WMS-RC在儿童中主要应用于临床诊断和疗效评估等,对正常儿童的相关研究较少;ADHD和学习障碍儿童总的记忆功能受到损害,主要表现在短时记忆和长时记忆方面,而TS儿童总的记忆功能处于正常偏低水平,但是短时记忆受损;在临床上,WMS-RC与韦氏智力量表、瑞文测验、WCST、数字划消、Stroop测验联合应用较多.     

Application of Choynowski's Memory Scale in assessment of patients with dementia

Introduction

Neuropsychological assessment of patients with dementia necessitates the use of varied memory tasks designed to measure different memory processes, including information memorization, retention and retrieval. A valid memory battery should be demonstrated to discriminate between demented and non-demented subjects and its scores should be related to the degree of intellectual impairment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of Choynowski''s Memory Scale in assessment of patients with dementia.

Material and methods

Thirty-two patients with dementia and 64 age- and gender- matched healthy controls took part in the study. All participants were examined by means of Choynowski''s Memory Scale, and the patients were additionally assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination and Clock Drawing Test (CDT).

Results

All subtests of Choynowski''s Memory Scale were found to highly significantly (p ≤ 0.001) discriminate between patients with dementia and healthy controls. Except for Digit Span, all other subtests of Choynowski''s battery were highly correlated with the global mental status as assessed by MMSE with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.59 to 0.81. Most subtests of Choynowski''s Memory Scale were also moderately or highly correlated with performance on the CDT, and the correlations coefficients between the total score on Memory Scale and the CDT were r = 0.66 and r = 0.61 (p ≤ 0.001) for the free recall drawing and copying, respectively.

Conclusions

Choynowski''s Memory Scale showed high discriminative properties and strong associations with the degree of intellectual impairment in dementia. The results encourage the use of this battery in clinical settings.     

Memory evaluation of alcoholics with Russell's revised Wechsler Memory Scale

Fifty-four alcoholics and 30 nonalcoholics were tested on Russell's (1975) revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale (RWMS). Subjects were dichotomized into groups of old and young, and alcoholics were divided further into groups of short- and long-term abusers. Groups were matched on socioeconomic status. Significant group differences were found on three of the four RWMS measures as a function of abuse status and on two of the measures as a function of age. In terms of severity of impairment, alcoholics were found to demonstrate only mild verbal and figural memory deficits when compared to age-matched controls. Results are discussed with regard to the clinical utility of the RWMS as a memory screening instrument with alcoholic patients and in terms of treatment implications.     

Factor analysis of the Wechsler Memory Scale and the Warrington Recognition Memory Test.

Subjects were 156 individuals referred, for psychological and neuropsychological evaluation. The Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) including the 12h delayed condition of Russell's revision and Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) were administered as part of each evaluation. Using scores from the RMT subtests: (1) Memory for Words and (2) Memory for Faces, and scores from the WMS subtests: (3) Logical Memory, (4) Digit Span, (5) Visual Reproduction, and (6) Associate Learning flow associate pairs only), a principal components factor analysis was carried out with an orthogonal varimax rotation yielding four factors: (1) verbal learning and memory, (2) Figurai memory, (3) Recognition memory, and (4) Attention-Concentration. Results are discussed with respect to the independent, but complementary information provided by the WMS and RMT for measurement of memory functions.     

Memory enhancement in elderly humans: effects of glucose ingestion

Recent findings demonstrate that, in rats, posttraining injections of glucose can enhance subsequent memory performance. The purpose of this study was to extend these findings to an elderly human population by testing the hypothesis that acute increases in peripheral blood glucose levels would enhance performance on memory tasks. Eleven subjects ranging in age from 58 to 76 years participated in the study. A within-subject, repeated-measures design was used in which each subject was tested under two different glycemic conditions: with fasting blood glucose levels and with increased blood glucose levels. Blood glucose was manipulated via consumption of beverages sweetened with either saccharin or glucose powder. After beverage consumption, subjects took four tests from the Wechsler Memory Scale. Comparisons of performance under the two glycemic conditions showed that scores were higher after the glucose beverage on narrative memory tests and the total Wechsler Scale. Nine of the eleven subjects had higher total Wechsler Scale scores. These results contribute to the growing evidence that glucose metabolism should be considered in the study of memory processes. The implications of such relationships for age-related memory deficits are discussed.     

The psychometric structure of the Wechsler Memory Scale in comparison to the WAIS-R in a low-IQ clinical population

The psychometric structure of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and its relationship to the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) were studied in an outpatient population of 103 individuals with low Full Scale IQ scores (M = 71). We found that the age correction of the WMS scores gave memory quotients (WMQ) equivalent to WAIS-R FSIQ scores, but our findings also raised problems of interpretation. If the usual rule of thumb of a 12-point discrepancy between the MQ and the FSIQ were applied, the WMS might be relatively insensitive to memory impairment in this low-IQ clinical population, in which more numerous cases of impairment could be expected. Principal components analysis of the WMS raw scores and three WAIS-R scores included as reference variables yielded five orthogonal factors: Attention/Concentration; Visual Reproductions; New Verbal Learning; Well-learned Semantic Knowledge; and Intelligence. We argue that raw scores on the WMS should be reported to optimize possible diagnostic specificity and to align the WMS with experimental and clinical research in various types of memory functioning and impairment.     

Utility of half-credit scoring of Russell's revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale

This study examined interrater reliability of Russell's revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale logical memory using an explicit scoring method in a male medical/psychiatric population. Secondly, it examined whether the ratio of full to half-credit scores can be used to differentiate unimpaired patients from patients with documented cerebral dysfunction. Twenty-five unimpaired and 25 brain-impaired patients matched for age and education were used. Pearson correlations indicate excellent interrater reliability. t-tests indicate that the groups were not significantly different from the ratio of full- to half-credit responses on immediate memory, but were significantly different on delayed memory. A posteriori analyses indicated that a small ratio score (less than 3) on delayed recall classified patients with modest success. Results indicated that brain-impaired and unimpaired patients not only differ in regard to level of recall performance, but also differ in regard to pattern of recall performance. Cross-validation of these results is suggested.     

Wechsler Memory Scale performance in geropsychiatric patients

Patients (N = 36) on a geropsychiatric acute care unit were administered the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) at admission and discharge. The results indicated that there were significant increases in WMS scores from admission to discharge. Mean scores on the WMS were generally below those previously reported for normal geriatric groups, but above those reported for chronically ill or demented groups. As in previous studies, a significant positive relationship was found between education and WMS score, although no such relationship was found between age and WMS score. Overall, the results highlight the need for comprehensive norms for the elderly, which would increase greatly the practical utility of the WMS in clinical settings.     

The differential effect of conation on intelligence test scores among brain-damaged and control subjects.

Conation, or the ability to apply effective effort in completing a task over time, has been shown to be impaired in brain-damaged subjects. Various intelligence tests differ in the apparent extent to which they require conative ability. In this study we compared results earned by brain-damaged and control groups on three measures of intelligence: Wechsler Verbal IQ (VIQ), Wechsler Performance IQ (PIQ), and the Henmon-Nelson Test (HNT) of Mental Ability. Test scores were converted to T-score distributions for the combined groups in order to delete possible effects of differences in standardization procedures and the normative samples on which IQ scores were generated. The degree of impairment shown by the brain-damaged subjects was in direct relationship to the extent to which the three intelligence measures appear to require conation. The results support a generalization that intelligence tests that require a greater conative ability tend to produce lower scores for brain-damaged persons, as compared to controls, than do intelligence tests that are less demanding of conation.     

Wechsler Memory Scale: a selective review of the literature.

Research on the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) is reviewed with respect to questions of its reliability, factor structure, construct validity, and utility. The relationship of Memory Quotient to Full Scale IQ is explored and the conditions under which disparity between the two scores may be clinically useful indicated. Despite its numerous limitations, the WMS has been a sensitive test of short-term verbal memory. As such, it may be helpful in identifying impairment of the dominant (left) temporal lobe and its medial hippocampal connections. The test is badly in need of re-standardization, however, and suggestions for improving the instrument are made.     

The relationship between measures of psychopathology, intelligence, and memory among adults seen for psychoeducational assessment.

This study assessed the relationship between symptoms of psychopathology and cognitive functioning in clients completing comprehensive psychoeducational assessments at a university-based outpatient mental health clinic. Seventy clients (36 women, 34 men, mean age=28.8) completed the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition (MMPI-2). Partial correlations between the MMPI-2 clinical scales, WMS-III Index scores, WAIS-III Index scores, and WAIS-III IQ scores were not significant. Memory and Intelligence scores for clients with comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety were comparable to scores for clients without comorbid symptomatology. Psychopathology factors accounted for 22% of the variance in the WAIS-III Full Scale IQ and 6.5% of the variance in the WMS-III General Memory Index. The results suggest that psychopathology as measured by the MMPI-2 may be minimally associated with intelligence and memory test performance in adults seen for psychoeducational assessment.     

Normal aging and forgetting rates on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised.

The deleterious effects of aging on various cognitive abilities are widely recognized, yet little is known regarding what constitutes "normal" memory test performance in individuals over the age of 74. In this study, forgetting rates for verbal and nonverbal material from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) were examined in groups of older healthy individuals, age 50-70 and 75-95. Despite equivalent scores on measures of global cognitive status and attention/ concentration, the older group demonstrated significantly more rapid forgetting rates on the Visual Reproduction, Verbal Paired Associates, and Visual Paired Associates subtests of the WMS-R. Although patients with Alzheimer's disease also evidence very rapid forgetting on some subtests, the severity and pattern of losses appears useful in differentiating "abnormal" forgetting from that exhibited by normal elderly subjects. Preliminary normative data for normal elderly subjects on the WMS-R are presented, and the need for appropriate norms for elderly individuals is discussed.     

Detection of changes in material-specific memory following temporal lobectomy using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised.

To determine the utility of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) in measuring material-specific memory changes, within-subject comparisons of the Verbal-Visual Memory Index discrepancy and discrepancy scores using short-term and delayed Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction subtests from the WMS-R were studied prior to and following temporal lobectomy among 30 patients with left temporal lobectomy, 30 with right temporal lobectomy, and 50 epileptic, non-surgical controls. The groups were matched on age, sex, handedness, age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, and presurgical Verbal and Performance IQ; the right temporal group had a higher mean educational level (p <.05). All surgical patients were left hemisphere dominant for speech; those who had persistent postoperative seizures were excluded from study. On retesting, left temporal lobectomy was associated with a marked change in short-term and delayed memory discrepancy scores primarily due to a drop in verbal memory. Right temporal lobectomy was not associated with a drop in visual memory, suggesting that the WMS-R appears to reflect decrements in material-specific memory following left but not right temporal lobectomy. The nonsurgical controls showed increases in both short-term and delayed memory discrepancy scores due to increases in short-term and delayed verbal memory. Relative to these controls, the absence of comparable increases in verbal memory among the right temporal patients suggests that right temporal lobectomy may be associated with risk to verbal memory.