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Detecting feigned neuropsychological impairment with the Seashore Rhythm Test.

Sixty undergraduate subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups and completed the Seashore Rhythm Test (SRT) as part of an investigation regarding simulated neuropsychological impairment. A sophisticated simulator group was instructed to feign impairment and was provided information regarding traumatic brain injury (TBI) sequelae. A naive simulator group was instructed to feign impairment, but was given no such information. A control group was instructed to perform optimally. Additionally, SRT scores for 20 TBI subjects who completed neuropsychological evaluations were analyzed. Mean SRT scores for the sophisticated and naive simulators did not differ but were significantly lower when compared to control subjects and TBI subjects. A discriminate function analysis cutting score correctly classified 79% of subjects, while classification rates obtained with two previously investigated cutting scores were 64% and 72%. Implications of using these cutting scores are discussed. The findings indicate the SRT is a useful indicator of feigned neurological impairment.

Adolescent↗

The F(p) Infrequency-Psychopathology scale with chemically dependent inpatients.

This study examines characteristics of Arbisi and Ben-Porath's (1995) MMPI-2 Infrequency-Psychopathology scale, F(p), in a sample of individuals admitted for inpatient treatment of chemical dependency. The F(p) scale, designed to detect deviant response biases in settings characterized by high base rates of psychopathology, was found by Arbisi and Ben-Porath (1995) to have good construct and incremental validity with psychiatric inpatients. Comparisons of the F(p), Infrequency (F), and Infrequency-Back (Fb) scales' means and relationships to indices of psychopathology in the current study provide evidence supporting the F(p) scale's validity in populations of chemically dependent inpatients with and without concurrent psychiatric diagnoses.

Adult↗

The R-CRAS and insanity evaluations: a re-examination of construct validity. Rogers Criminal Responsibility Assessment Scales.

Insanity evaluations are characterized by continued professional debate and the paucity of empirical research. To address the latter, the construct validity of the Rogers Criminal Responsibility Assessment Scales (R-CRAS; Rogers, 1984) was examined via an extensive re-analysis of 413 insanity cases. A series of six separate discriminant analyses was examined to address major components of insanity evaluations. These analyses yielded highly discriminating patterns (M hit rates of 94.3%) and accounted for substantial proportion of the variance (M=63.7%). In general, predicted relationships between individual variables and the discriminant functions were supported. We also addressed the usefulness of the R-CRAS additional variables for the assessment of insanity. We found that these variables contributed substantially to the determination of criminal responsibility. Finally, we pose important and polemical issues for forensic experts conducting evaluations of criminal responsibility.

Crime↗

Relationship between symptom over-reporting and pre- and post-combat trauma history in veterans evaluated for PTSD.

We examined the prevalence of pre- and post-combat traumatic events in the histories of 129 combat veterans referred to be evaluated for PTSD and examined the impact of these non-combat traumatic events on self-reported psychiatric symptoms. Participants were consecutive referrals to a Veterans Affairs outpatient post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinic who completed structured interviews, self-report measures (e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; MMPI-2), and a trauma history questionnaire as part of their routine clinical evaluations. Findings show that non-combat trauma was prevalent in this sample, with 65% (21% pre-combat) reporting physical assaults and 12% (11% pre-combat) reporting sexual assaults. Overall, history of sexual or physical assaults did not appear to be systematically related to reported symptom level. However, chi square analyses revealed a consistent over-representation of veterans who reported sexual trauma in the category suggestive of response exaggeration (i.e., MMPI-2 F-K validity index > or = 13). Finally, a hierarchical regression equation predicting F-K scores was computed, but accounted for only 15.9% of the variance in F-K. Presence of sexual assault history was the only predictor associated with a more pronounced response set suggestive of exaggeration or deception. These findings tentatively indicate that if history of sexual or physical assault has an impact on symptom reporting in combat veterans evaluated for PTSD, it is of modest magnitude.

Adult↗

Modified properties of serum cholinesterases in primary carcinomas.

Cholinesterases were characterized in the serum of 77 treated and 11 untreated patients having primary carcinomas of various tissue origins and 21 healthy volunteers which served as controls. In most of the samples, pseudocholinesterase (BuChE) accounted for almost all cholinesterase (ChE) activity and was inhibited by the organophosphorous poison tetraisopropyl pyrophosphoramide (iso-OMPA). In samples from the tumor-bearing patients, ChE degraded 733 +/- 59 nmole acetylcholine/h/mg protein, lower than the 960 +/- 175 nmole/hour/mg levels measured in controls. Tumor serum ChE exhibited elevated sensitivity to 1,5-bis-(4-allyldimethyl ammonium phenyl)-pentan-3-one dibromide (BW), the selective bisquaternary inhibitor of "true" acetylcholinesterase (AChE), with no correlation to age, sex, staging of tumor, presence of metastases or the specific treatment protocol, and with a different distribution pattern from the decrease in ChE specific activity or the sensitivity to iso-OMPA. In sucrose gradients, ChE sedimented as 12S in controls whereas in tumor serum samples from treated patients an additional component of 6 to 7 S, inhibited by both iso-OMPA and BW, also was detected. However, the ChE activity in serum of patients with diagnosed carcinomas before surgery and medical treatment appeared to be nondistinguishable from controls. These findings suggest that the modified properties of serum cholinesterases in carcinoma patients are not the result of the tumor itself, but that the common therapy protocols used in the treatment of primary carcinomas may cause the appearance of soluble ChE activity with properties of both AChE and BuChE, which accumulates in the serum.

Adult↗

The subarachnoid space: normal fetal development as demonstrated by transvaginal ultrasound.

Enlargement of the subarachnoid spaces can be seen in the following conditions: communicating hydrocephalus, brain atrophy and benign enlargement of the subarachnoid spaces. These disorders may begin in utero. There are no established normograms for the fetal subarachnoid spaces. This study was conducted in order to determine its normal development. Transvaginal sonography was used to examine the subarachnoid space in 80 fetuses between 16 and 40 weeks' gestation. The sinocortical width (SCW) and craniocortical width (CCW) were measured in a coronal plane at the level of the foramen of Monro. The SCW remained relatively constant during the gestational period. The CCW increased in size from the 20th to the 28th week of pregnancy, with a subsequent gradual decrease until term. Determination of fetal subarachnoid space normograms may potentially help in the diagnosis of pathological conditions affecting this space and allow prenatal counselling.

Adult↗

Psychometric detection of fabricated symptoms of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic replication.

Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 11) and two other groups of Vietnam veterans (n = 24) instructed to fabricate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder completed the MMPI. A discriminant function analysis that used scale F and the post-traumatic stress disorder subscale correctly classified 91% of the subjects. This systematic replication supports the utility of the MMPI as a component in evaluating the validity of self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans.

Adult↗

Criteria for assessing inconsistent patterns of item endorsement on the MMPI: rationale, development, and empirical trials.

The concepts nonresponsivity (stimulus avoidance) and content responsive faking (dissimulation) are reviewed and sharply distinguished for their implications for MMPI validity. Although conventional validity scales and indices may be sensitive to content responsive faking, these measures are poorly suited for assessing content nonresponsivity, which is better evaluated with reference to the consistency of item endorsements. A set of rationally derived decisions rules for evaluating content nonresponsivity is presented and investigated empirically. In three studies, each of which compares psychiatric patients with a different set of computer-generated data, the performance of the decision rules and the consistency measures that comprise them was generally superior to traditional measures. The use of consistency-based invalidity criteria is recommended for both clinical and research purposes.

Adult↗

MMPI profile patterns of emotional disability claimants.

MMPI profiles of 185 Pacific Bell employees referred for psychological evaluation were compared to a sample of 200 seen for psychiatric evaluation related to Workers' Compensation litigation. In both samples, an almost identical percentage of MMPI profiles reflected significant psychopathology (85% vs. 83%). In the Pacific Bell sample, there were almost twice as many MMPIs of questionable validity (16%) as in the Worker's Compensation study (7%). The most striking finding is that the same five two-point Code-Types were the most frequently occurring in both samples; they accounted for about half of the profiles in each study. Three of these Code-Types, 12/21, 13/31, and 23/32, which involve the Hypochondriasis, Depression, and Hysteria scales, represented 38% of the Workers' Compensation and 26% of the Pacific Bell samples. These three Code-Types are characteristic of somatization of psychogenic complaints.

Accidents, Occupational↗

The differential responding of college students to subtle and obvious MCMI subscales.

This study investigated the differential responding of 49 male and 92 female college students to subtle and obvious MCMI scale items. It had been predicted that item subtlety would be correlated positively with item endorsement. This prediction was supported across all 175 MCMI items (r = .34). In addition, subjects endorsed a greater percentage of subtle than obvious subscale items for eight Basic Personality scales and two of three Pathological Personality scales. However, this pattern was not consistent for the nine Symptom Disorder scales. It also had been predicted that gender would moderate subjects' differential responding to subtle and obvious items, whereby males would show a greater tendency than females to endorse relatively more subtle than obvious items. This prediction was not supported.

Adolescent↗

Relationships among clinical and validity scales of the Basic Personality Inventory.

In interpreting the results of a self-report inventory it is important to evaluate the extent to which stylistic distortion may have been operative. This task is complicated because validity measures frequently are confounded with content measures. In order to evaluate the potential utility of the validity measures for the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI) the relationships between validity measures and content scales were evaluated in a sample of 71 inmates. While some validity indices had significant correlations with content scales, other validity indices were relatively independent of the content scales. Recommendations are provided for using the BPI validity scales.

Adolescent↗

Assessment of motivation and memory with the Recognition Memory Test after financially compensable mild head injury.

Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) was used in the assessment of memory and motivation in a study of 63 adult subjects. Subjects reporting mild head trauma who claimed disability and were seeking financial compensation (MT-Comp) obtained significantly lower scores on both subtests of the RMT than subjects with moderate and severe brain trauma (ST) and subjects with mild head injuries who had returned to work (MT-Work). Of the MT-Comp, 47% and 29% scored below chance on the Faces and Words subtests, respectively, compared to 10% and 6% in ST group and 0% and 0% in the MT-Work group. A discriminant function that consisted of both RMT subtests discriminated between the MT-Work and MT-Comp groups with an overall accuracy of 93%.

Adult↗