Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M F Elias

Publications and source records attributed to M F Elias.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Determining neuropsychological cut scores for older, healthy adults.

Three age groups (20-31, 37-49, and 55-67 years) of healthy men and women were compared on tests from the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery. Age-cohort differences in performance were observed for every measure (except Finger Tapping) and for overall indices of cognitive functioning, the Average Impairment Rating (AIR) and the Halstead-Reitan Impairment Index (HR II). When traditional cut scores (developed with age-heterogeneous samples) were used, alarmingly high percentages of subjects in the oldest group were defined as brain damaged. These findings were not attributable to higher levels of psychometrically-assessed anxiety and depression in the older groups or for the impaired subjects. Slightly more conservative criteria (fewer diagnoses of brain impairment) were then employed. The first, AIR greater than or equal to 2.00, resulted in a low and more reasonable base rate of brain impairment for the oldest group. The second, AIR greater than 2.00, resulted in age-parity in incidence of brain impairment. The heuristic value of more conservative AIR scores was discussed as were possible uses in applied clinical research settings. The limitations of this approach were noted with regard to its exclusive focus on the problem of false positive diagnoses. It was emphasized that, from a neuropsychological diagnostic perspective, cut scores based on healthy aging samples must ultimately be tested in the context of traditional neuropsychological studies in which external validation with neurosurgical and neurological criteria is employed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Is blood pressure an important variable in research on aging and neuropsychological test performance?

Regression analyses using Blood Pressure, Age, and the multiplicative effect of Blood Pressure and Age as predictors of performance (on selected tests from the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery) were done. Three hypotheses were tested with subjects ranging in age from 20 to 72 years of age: (1) blood pressure values predict neuropsychological test performance over a wide range of hypertensive and normotensive blood pressure values; (2) blood pressure predicts performance within the narrower range of normal and borderline values; (3) blood pressure X age interactions, when observed over this age and education range, are such that negative blood pressure effects on performance are larger for younger than older subjects. Regression analyses confirmed each of these hypotheses and indicated that strength of prediction was not reduced when participants free from hypertension-related complications and medication were tested. Blood pressure X age interactions were seen for Trailmaking-B Test and the Tactile Performance Test-Localization for the primary sample. However, only Blood Pressure main effects were observed for the Average Impairment Rating, the Categories Test, TPT-Memory and TPT-Localization when age, sex, and education were controlled. Implications of these findings for the role of blood pressure in aging research and for longitudinal studies with subjects free from the need for treatment with antihypertensive medications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A longitudinal study of the performance of hypertensive and normotensive subjects on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was followed over two 5- to 6-year intervals for essential hypertensive Ss (EH; n = 22) free from medical complications and for normotensive Ss (N; n = 20). EH were treated with adrenergic beta-blocking drugs, diuretics, or both. Mean age was 46 years (SD = 12.6 years), initially (Time 1). Results were unaltered by adjustment for initial age. N improved modestly on the Verbal scale, from Time 1 to Time 2 only. EH neither improved nor declined on the Verbal scale. Scores remained unchanged for both EH and N Ss for the Performance scale. Overall, and at Times 2 and 3, Verbal scores were lower for the EH group. It was concluded that neither decline nor improvement in cognitive function over time are necessary outcomes of modest, carefully treated, uncomplicated hypertension in the middle years.

Female↗
PubMed1989

A longitudinal study of neuropsychological performance by hypertensives and normotensives: a third measurement point.

The neuropsychological test performance of hypertensive and normotensive subjects was compared at three times of measurement over a 10-year period. The tests used were among those that are most sensitive to brain impairment in the Halstead-Reitan battery. In addition to individual test measures, a widely used clinical index of battery-wide performance--the Average Impairment Rating (AIR)--was used. Hypertensives exhibited lower mean levels of performance on the AIR at all times of measurement. However, the Blood Pressure Group x Time of Measurement interactions were not statistically significant, indicating that hypertensives and normotensives did not exhibit a differential rate of change (decline or improvement) over time. Hypertensives also performed more poorly for a measure of learning set formation (categories test) and two tests of memory for forms experienced by touch only (tactile perception memory and localization tests). However, Blood Pressure x Time of Measurement interactions were not observed for these measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Nursing interval and maternal responsivity: effect on early infant crying.

In industrialized societies, the unique pattern of crying in the first three months is "unexplained" but thought to be due to different biobehavioral factors from later crying behavior. To increase the range of the feeding and caretaking behaviors hypothesized to be relevant determinants of early crying, home observations and diary records were analyzed from samples of two subcultures of American middle-class women (La Leche League and "standard care" mothers; each n = 16) differing primarily in such practices. Both during and after the early crying stage, frequently fed infants cried or fretted less often (8.1 v 15.8 episodes per hour at 2 months of age; 10.7 v 16.6 episodes per hour at 4 months of age), and fewer of them exhibited rhythmic crying behavior (four v 11 at 2 months; eight v 13 at 4 months) during observations. However, only during the early crying period at 2 months were interval between feedings and maternal response latency shown to be independent determinants of cry/fret frequency (overall r2 = .35, P = .01), each factor accounting for approximately half of the explained individual variance. Furthermore, feeding interval was the only variable associated with rhythmic crying behavior at 2 months of age (r2 = .20;P = .01). In similar analyses at 4 months, there were no significant relationships with later crying or fretting. The results suggest that, in the presence of variation in feeding practice greater than that which is typical for our society, feeding interval may be a significant factor in early (but not later) crying behavior; furthermore, this effect is independent of and additive to the soothing effect of short response latency.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1987

Acquisition of word-processing skills by younger, middle-age, and older adults.

A total of 45 subjects in three age groups (younger, middle-age, older) were trained to word process on microcomputers using a commercial training program and an experimenter-designed test and evaluation protocol. Although all of the subjects mastered the essentials of word processing, the older group took significantly longer to complete the training and evaluation procedures and performed more poorly on a review examination that tested their knowledge of the word-processing commands and techniques. The results are discussed in relation to requirements for trainer assistance, motivational factors, and the need to design training protocols that meet the needs of older adults.

Achievement↗
PubMed1987

Clinical significance of cognitive performance by hypertensive patients.

Fifty-four subjects with uncomplicated essential hypertension and 54 normotensive subjects were compared with regard to a widely employed clinical index of cognitive dysfunction (the Average Impairment Rating) calculated from neuropsychological tests that discriminate between brain-damaged and neurologically normal persons. Hypertensive subjects exhibited lower mean scores on this index when education was ignored, but results were not the same for highly educated and less well educated groups. There were no differences between exceptionally well educated hypertensive and normotensive subjects, but in the less well educated group, hypertensive subjects performed more poorly than normotensive subjects. The percentages of hypertensive and normotensive subjects scoring in a cognitively impaired range on the Average Impairment Rating were low and did not differ for either education group. These data indicate the important role of subtle differences in education level with respect to positive or negative findings for studies comparing hypertensive and normotensive subjects and illustrate the important role of clinical neuropsychological indices of cognitive dysfunction when one wishes to make meaningful inferences regarding cerebral cortical function in hypertensive subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A longitudinal comparison of hypertensives and normotensives on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale: initial findings.

This study was designed to compare changes in performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale over a 5- to 6-year test interval for normotensives and medically treated, uncomplicated essential hypertensives. The results indicated that normotensives improved from Time 1 to Time 2 on the Verbal scale but not on the Performance scale. Hypertensives exhibited no significant improvement or decline on either scale, although they performed less well on the Verbal scale at Time 2 than did normotensives. They also performed more poorly on the Performance scale when Time 1 and Time 2 scores were averaged. Participants who returned for Time 2 testing and those who participated only at Time 1 were compared. Verbal scaled scores at Time 1 were higher for returning than for nonreturning hypertensives, but, for normotensives, no differences were observed for those who returned for Time 2 testing and those who did not.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A longitudinal study of neuropsychological test performance for hypertensive and normotensive adults: initial findings.

This study was designed to compare changes in performance on selected measures from the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery over a 5 to 6 year interval for normotensive and medically treated, uncomplicated essential hypertensive adults. Mean performance level was poorer for hypertensive than for normotensive groups on an average impairment index and a number of the individual impairment rating scores, but no Time of measurement X Blood pressure interactions were observed. There was no evidence of improvement or decline for normotensive or hypertensive adults and no evidence suggesting that the hypertensive group could be characterized as "cognitively impaired" in an absolute or clinical sense.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1986

Sleep/wake patterns of breast-fed infants in the first 2 years of life.

Published norms for infant sleep/wake patterns during the first 2 years of life include an increase in length of maximum sleep bout from four to five to eight to ten hours by 4 months but little decrease in total sleep in 24 hours from 13 to 15 hours. Thirty-two breast-fed infants were followed for 2 years and data collected on 24-hour patterns of nursing and sleep. Infants who were breast-fed into the second year did not develop sleep/wake patterns in conformance with the norms. Instead of having long unbroken night sleep, they continued to sleep in short bouts with frequent wakings. Their total sleep in 24 hours was less than that of weaned infants. This pattern was most pronounced in infants who both nursed and shared a bed with the mother, common practices in many nonwestern cultures. The sleep/wake development accepted as the physiologic norm may be attributable to the early weaning and separated sleeping practiced in western culture. As prolonged breast-feeding becomes more popular in our society, the norms of sleep/wake patterns in infancy will have to be revised.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1980

Corroboration of the utility of the Satz-Mogel abbreviated WAIS with hospitalized geriatric patients.

The equivalency of standard and Satz-Mogel WAIS scales for psychiatrically hospitalized geriatric patients was explored further in a followup study using a repeated measures design. The two WAIS forms were found to be closely equivalent in test-retest reliability and to have highly similar means and standard deviations. Strong support was given to the authors' prevous conclusion that the Satz-Mogel short form of the WAIS may be used interchangeably with the standard WAIS in the clinical assessment of geriatric subjects hospitalized in public psychiatric institutions.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

Anxiety and depression in young and middle aged hypertensive and normotensive subjects.

This study examined the effects of essential hypertension on measures of anxiety and depression for two age groups of hypertensive (free from hypertension-related pathology and/or cardiovascular disease) and normotensive subjects. Hypertensive subjects had significantly higher State Anxiety scores and Zung Depression scores than did normotensive subjects. These differences between the blood pressure groups were due largely to the scores of the younger hypertensive subjects. The results of the present study are consistent with previous results from our laboratory that have found that younger hypertensives differed (relative to controls) from middle aged hypertensives on measures, such as, symptoms reported on the Cornell Medical Index and WAIS Performance scores. The results of the present study were discussed within the context of age associated differences in response to hypertension and factors that might account for these differences.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Relationship of age and hypertension to neuropsychological test performance.

Young adult (X- = 29) and middle aged (X- =50) hypertensive and normotensive subjects were compared with respect to seven neuropsychological test scores derived from tests on the Halstead-Reitan battery. Age main effects, with inferior performance for the middle aged subjects, were observed for the localization and time portions of the Tactile Performance Test (TPT) and for the Trail Making A test. The multivariate age effect was significant for the composite of seven scores. A multivariate blood pressure main effect was obtained and main effect blood pressure was significant for the category test; hypertensives made more errors than normotensives. A blood pressure by age interaction was observed for finger tapping scores and the TPT-Memory scores with larger differences between hypertensives and normotensives for the younger than for the middle aged group. Results were discussed in terms of previous studies of age and hypertension with the WAIS, the Primary Mental Abilities Test and serial reaction time measures. The poor prediction of hypertensive status from individual neuropsychological test scores was emphasized and readers were cautioned not to conclude that essential hypertensives, as a group, can be characterized as brain damaged.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

WAIS performance for different age groups of hypertensive and control subjects during the administration of a diuretic.

This study examined the effects of age and hypertension on WAIS performance. Previous studies have reported that hypertension adversely affects cognitive functioning, but few have considered the influence of hypertension on discrete age groups. Hypertension was found to be negatively associated with WAIS Verbal scores for younger (21 to 39 years) but not older (45 to 65 years) subjects. Further, younger subjects attained higher WAIS Performance scores than did older subjects. Medication history was not associated with performance levels for hypertensives, nor was performance of controls influenced by whether or not they were tested while on a diuretic. When WAIS Performance scores were analyzed for subjects matched on WAIS Verbal scores across age (21 to 39 vs 45 to 65 years) and blood pressure (normotensive vs hypertensive), a significant age by blood pressure interaction was found. The effect of blood pressure on Performance scores was found to be greater for younger than for older subjects. The association between plasma renin activity (PRA) level and WAIS Performance scores was also examined. Contrary to previous findings PRA was not related to Performance scores. The results are discussed in the context of previous hypertension research and their implications for comparisons across age levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Symptoms reported on the Cornell Medical Index in relationship to hypertension and age.

This study compared young and old hypertensive and normotensive subjects with respect to the number of symptoms reported on the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). The hypertensive subjects had more physical and psychological complaints than did the normotensive subjects. Differences in symptoms reported between the blood pressure groups were not concentrated in one specific category (e.g., cardiovascular) but were distributed over several categories. Age did not influence the number of symptoms reported for either blood pressure group. The results were discussed in the context of the lack of specificity of symptoms reported by hypertensive subjects, and to what extent reported symptoms on the CMI are influenced by knowledge of one's blood pressure status.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Use of the Satz-Mogel abbreviated WAIS with hospitalized geriatric patients.

The equivalency of standard and Satz-Mogel WAIS scales for psychiatrically hospitalized geriatric patients was studied using a matched control and experimental group, test-retest design. On the Verbal, Performance, Full Scale, and subtest scales the two forms had distributions whose central tendencies and variances were statistically equivalent. Score reliability for the two forms was shown by the finding of only one significant test-retest correlational difference between corresponding scales for the two groups and by difference-score variances which generally pointed to only a slight statistical tendency of the short form to generate larger differences between test and re-test scores.

Aged↗