Biomedical subjects

D S Rohlman

Publications and source records attributed to D S Rohlman.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Neurobehavioral deficits in Persian Gulf veterans: evidence from a population-based study. Portland Environmental Hazards Research Center.

Reports of low-concentration nerve gas exposures during the Persian Gulf War have spurred concern about possible health consequences and refocused interest on the symptoms reported by many returning military veterans. The Portland Environmental Hazards Research Center is studying veterans from the Northwest USA who report persistent, unexplained "Persian Gulf" symptoms (cases) or who do not report those symptoms (controls). Of the first 101 veterans studied, cases differed substantially from controls on a broad range of psychological tests indicative of increased distress. A subgroup of cases was identified with objective deficits on neurobehavioral tests of memory, attention, and response speed.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Test-retest reliability of psychological and neurobehavioral tests self-administered by computer.

A series of 12 psychological and 7 neurobehavioral performance tests were administered twice to a nonclinical normative sample with 1 week between administrations. The tests were presented in a self-administered computerized format. One week test-retest reliabilities were comparable to conventional administration formats. The results suggest that individual test reliability is not affected when tests are administered as part of an extensive multi-measure battery. Computer administered test reliability coefficients also were compared to a Mixed Format (computer-conventional) administration with mixed format reliabilities generally similar to the reliabilities of published conventional tests but also generally lower than same format testing. Compared to psychological test reliability, neurobehavioral test reliability appeared more vulnerable to decreases with mixed format testing. These conclusions should not be generalized to all computer implemented tests as the qualities of the test implementation will affect the outcome.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human behavioral assessment in neurotoxicology: producing appropriate test performance with written and shaping instructions.

Neurotoxic effects are of such breadth and complexity that functional biomarkers (behavioral tests) that integrate many areas of the nervous system predominate in human neurotoxicology research. The increasing distribution of chemical and other manufacturing throughout the world, particularly in developing nations, suggests the acute need to develop biomarkers for chemical exposures and effects that can be employed internationally. A language-free method for training performance on behavioral tests is described, which holds promise for international research that circumvents the vagaries of translation. Four behavioral tests were administered to 74-114 adult US subjects. Procedures, collectively termed shaping, produced effective performance on three tests [Symbol Digit, Vigilant Attention Test (VAT), Digit Span Forward and Backward], and produced appropriate but unacceptably slow performance in initial testing on the Simple Reaction Time test. Effective performance on the Symbol-Digit test also was produced by shaping instruction, without assistance from examiners, in small groups of residents of Taipei (Taiwan) and US children between the ages of 5 and 16.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Computerized neurobehavioral testing: techniques for improving test instructions.

The development of new computer-administered neuropsychological tests has brought a renewed focus on the issue of written instructions. Designers and programmers often fail to take advantage of the display options and feedback potential available in modern computer systems to maximize the effectiveness of the instruction process. Guidelines from computer interface architecture and behavioral analysis are combined to present three principles for written instructions: precise language, attention focusing, and interactive instruction. A comparison of different instruction formats in the Symbol-Digit and Simple Reaction Time tests shows that the application of these principles can reduce training time without degrading performance.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Computer-administration of questionnaires: a health screening system (HSS) developed for veterans.

The introduction of microcomputers in psychological research has spawned a burgeoning number of tests of psychological or behavioral function, but few computerized systems for administering questionnaires have been developed. A Health Screening System (HSS) is described that combines the benefits of the paper-and-pencil format (e.g., convenient navigation within test questions) and the added benefits of computer-implementation (e.g., efficiency, automated scoring). The HSS features; a) appealing test appearance (e.g., text in large-size fonts, color backgrounds); b) clear wording of tests and instructions (identical wording as original tests except when clarity is served by changes); c) limiting need for Examiner-Subject interaction (e.g., continuously available on-line training, navigation within test questions, answer review capability, durable 9-button response unit); d) options (e.g., question skipping, spoken instructions, test questions, and answers on command); e) modification capabilities (e.g., color, text, test layout editing, control of test order, automated breaks, addition of tests to system); and f) extras (e.g., kernel of main instruction on each test screen, digitized video, audio message from Examiner in training, copyright notification on each screen, raw and summary data outputs in spreadsheet formal). Ten HSS tests were administered to 22 US military veterans, who took slightly longer to complete them than did 10 veterans who were administered the same tests in their original paper-and-pencil format. User reaction to the computerized HSS was positive.

Adult↗