Psychological correlates of abnormal electroencephalographic patterns in familial retardates
✍ Scribed by Alfred J. Butler; W. Glenn Conrad
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1964
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 491 KB
- Volume
- 20
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0021-9762
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✦ Synopsis
LaureUon (Penna.) S W School and Hospital
PROBLEM
This study stemmed from the observation that an unusually large proportion of institutionalized familial retardates manifested abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns. Over a three year period of new admissions to Laurelton State School and Hospital who were classified as familials, approximately 60 per cent were adjudged to have moderately to severely abnormal patterns. Most of these patterns were suggestive of diffuse brain damage. Since the familial group generally manifests no marked neurological or physical handicaps, the possibility of an high incidence of deficit warrants investigation. To assess the possible significance of the abnormal patterns, the performance of familial retardates on several intellectual , motor, sensory and perceptual tasks was related to the electroencephalographer's rating of the patterns.
With the exception of the Wechsler, the selection of the tasks included in the battery was based on three considerations, the probable relation of impairment of performance on the tasks to organic dysfunction, the sampling of a range of motor, sensory and perceptual functions, and the appropriateness of the tasks for retardates.
The relation of organic dysfunction to performance on the tasks selected has not been confirmed in all studies reviewed but sufficient evidence has been found('-6. 7-171 a ~-* ~) to indicate that these tests were of value in the diagnosis of brain injury in individuals of normal and /or of retarded intelligence. METHOD Sample. Sixty subjects were selected from an institutional population of moderately and mildly retarded females classified as familial in etiology. Ages ranged from 14 to 24 (M = 17.6, SD = 2.23) and IQ from 40 to 80 (M = 64.9, SD = 12.7). They were representative of this population with the exception of length of institutionalization. Excluded were those who were admitted prior to the adoption of EEG examinations as a routine admission procedure. The sample was limited, then, to those who had been institutionalized less than two years prior to the time of the psychological examination.
Measures. Most of the measures have been described in detail elsewhere. Some tasks have required modification in adapting them for administration to retarded Ss and only specific modifications for this investigation are elaborated below. In all, 18 psychometric measures and a rating of normality of EEG patterns were completed. Split-half reliability coefficients with correction by the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula are given for those measures for which this estimate could appropriately be determined.
- Weclrslet Full Scale ZQ.
2 & 3. The Bender Molor Geslall provided two measures, an error score provided by the Pascal(") scoring method and the number of rotations.
Healh RaiGWaZking Test administered according to the directions as given by Heatb (9) rovided a score indicating the total number of feet traversed over nine trials. Test-reteat reri ability for this measure for normal Sa as reported by Heath was .94.