Performances on Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Rey Complex Figure Test in a healthy, elderly Danish sample--reference data and validity issues

This study presents Danish data for Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) from 100 subjects aged 60-87 years. Education and estimated verbal intelligence (DART score) had a significant impact on the RAVLT trial 1-5 score but not on other RAVLT measures. The RCFT copy score was significantly related to age and the DART score. On RCFT recall a highly significant difference was found between persons who could make a faultless copy and persons with incomplete copy performance. Thus, this study presents separate data for RCFT recall scores according to the subjects' copying performance (in separate tables for age and education groups). For all measures on both RAVLT and RCFT wide distributions of scores were found and the impact of this broad score range on the tests' discriminative validity is discussed. RAVLT performances for elderly were similar to previous published meta-norms, but the included sample of elderly Danes performed better on RCFT (copy and recall) than elderly from the United States.     

The Structure of Retrospective Accounts of Family Environments: Related to the Structure of Personality Attributes

Kornrich, Milton (Ed.), Psychological Test Modifications, Springfield: C. C. Thomas, 1965. P. 265. $8.75. Reviewed by Melvin A. Gravitz, Ph.D.     

Adolescents with Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes can Benefit from Coaching: A Case Report and Discussion

Traditional interventions aimed at improving patient self-management and at motivating the patients to change behaviour seem to be insufficient in adolescents with very high HbA1c. In this paper we present a case consisting of nine adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes type 1. They had previously shown continuously high levels of HbA1c for 2 years despite intensive follow-up and were therefore invited to participate in a coaching program. The coaching program was conducted by professional certified coaches and consisted of two group and eight individual coaching sessions. After completing the coaching sessions, HbA1c had decreased significantly in six out of nine of the adolescents. The participants were interviewed twice following the coaching sessions. All participants reported that they found the sessions very rewarding, and several explained that they now saw themselves differently and had gained more self-esteem and more energy.     

Exploring Counselor-Client Agreement on Clients’ Work Capacity in Established and Consultative Dyads

Counselor-client agreement on the work capacity of clients living with serious mental illnesses informs the counseling relationship and facilitates accurate assessments of client eligibility for public programs. In this exploratory mixed-methods study, we assessed counselor-client agreement on clients’ work capacity in 61 established therapeutic dyads and compared it with 30 dyads involved in an initial assessment session. Intraclass correlation coefficients and mountain plots were used to examine counselor-client agreement. Results revealed moderate counselor-client agreement of work capacity for both dyads. Counselor interviews illuminated sources of discordance. These results have practical implications for assessing the work capacity of clients.     

A free and simple computerized screening test for visual field defects

About 30–40% of stroke patients suffer from visual field defects following injury. These can interfere with the standard neuropsychological assessment and complicate the interpretation of tests that use visual materials. However, information about the integrity of a patient's central visual field is often unavailable. We, therefore, designed a screening tool, the computerized visual field test (c‐VFT), specifically targeted at providing easily available, but rough, information about patients' central visual field. c‐VFT was tested in two samples of stroke patients. Eleven patients were tested on c‐VFT and on the Esterman test. Five patients were tested on c‐VFT and the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HFA), central 10‐2. Criterion validity of the c‐VFT was investigated by calculating quadrantwise intraclass correlation for both comparisons. For the HFA comparison, we also calculated point‐to‐point intraclass correlation, sensitivity, and specificity. Analyses revealed moderately good correspondence between c‐VFT and the Esterman test, and between c‐VFT and HFA 10‐2, respectively. When looking specifically at test points within one degree of visual angle apart in the two tests, intraclass correlation increased. For these points, the sensitivity of c‐VFT was 0.89 and specificity was 0.97. While the c‐VFT is not designed to be diagnostic nor to replace the detailed visual field analysis, this study shows that it provides a reasonable screening of the central visual field. The test can easily be used and will be made freely available to neuropsychological clinicians and researchers.     

Performances on Symbol Digit Modalities Test,Color Trails Test,and modified Stroop test in a healthy,elderly Danish sample

ABSTRACT

This study presents Danish data for the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Color Trails Test (CTT), and a modified Stroop test from 100 subjects aged 60–87 years. Among the included demographic variables, age had the highest impact on test performances. Thus, the study presents separate data for different age groups. For SDMT and CTT1, Danish Adult Reading Test (DART) score also had a significant impact on test performances. The incongruent version of the modified Stroop test was significantly correlated to education. Moderate and significant correlations were found between the three tests. Even though the three tests are commonly used, few normative data for elderly exists. SDMT and CTT performances from this study were in the same range as previously published international norms, but the validity of the result from the modified Stroop test could not be investigated.