Symptom Validity Testing (SVT) and Social Security Disability Claims

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S107-S107
Author(s):  
J. De Jonghe ◽  
T. Schoemaker ◽  
D. Lam ◽  
P. Andre de la Porte
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Symptom Validity Testing ◽  
Dutch Study

Background and aimsOver 50% of adult disability claimants fail some form of SVT. While some over report psychological, affective symptoms, others may report incredible cognitive symptoms. We examined effects of different types of response bias on free recall and self-reported depression.Participants and methods This is a single site cross-sectional study using a convenience sample (n = 224) of disability claimants in the Netherlands. The Green Word Memory Test (GWMT) was administered to all subjects. The Amsterdam Short Term Memory Test (AKTG), the Structured Inventory of Malingered. Symptomatology (SIMS), and the beck depression inventory (BDI-II) were administered in subsamples. Participant classification according to GWMT and SIMS outcomes resulted in four groups, G+/S+, G+/S−, G−/S+ and G−/S−.ResultsAverage age of the participants was 46.3 years (SD 9.9), 41.5% were female, and 43% were higher educated. GWMT was positive in 48.2% of all subjects, and 27.6% scored positive on both GWMT and SIMS. Analysis of variance of GWMT Free recall and Beck depression scores showed significant group differences [F(3, 123) = 33.21, P = .000] and [F(3, 106) = 25.17, P = .000] respectively.ConclusionsNon credible test performance was prevalent in this Dutch study of disability claimants. Insufficient effort and over reporting of psychological symptoms are associated with different score profiles on regular tests and self-rating scales.Disclosure of interestThe author receives funding for his work as a neuropsychologist in an expertise setting.

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Rural Healthy Adults: Russian and American Groups

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarui A Melikyan ◽  
Antonio E Puente ◽  
Anna V Agranovich
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rural Adults

Abstract Objective The Russian-speaking population is among the largest European-born in the U.S., yet Russian-American cross-cultural research is scarce. Two studies compared neuropsychological test performance in Russian and American urban adults. However, rural populations of the two nations have never been compared. Cross-cultural neuropsychological differences in rural populations might present differently than in urban dwellers. The present study provides a cross-sectional comparison of neuropsychological test performance in Russian and American rural adults. Methods Neuropsychological test performance of 51 American (67% female) and 52 Russian (60% female) healthy rural adults age 18–89 was compared using t-test with Bonferroni correction for education-adjusted z-scores for the following tests: Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Trail Making Test A and B (TMT A&B), Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test, Benton Judgment of Line Orientation Test (JLO), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), Color Trails Test 1 and 2 (CTT 1&2), WMS-IV Logical Memory Test (LMT), WAIS-IV Digit Span Forward (DSF) and Backward Test (DSB), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Results Age and sex distribution did not differ in the two groups, but the Russian group was more highly educated. The American group outperformed the Russian group on TMT B, CTT 2, recognition trials of RCFT, BVMT-R, LMT, and on DSF. Conclusions Cultural differences in attitudes to timed activities, experience with timed tests and multiple-choice format, attention to details, and length of digit-words that put differential demand on short-term memory in Russian and in English may mediate observed between-group differences.

Does depression explain poor effort on Symptom Validity Tests (SVT)?

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S408-S408
Author(s):  
J. De Jonghe ◽  
T. Schoemaker ◽  
S. Meyer ◽  
D. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Symptom Validity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Symptom Validity Tests

Background and aimsValid assessments require sufficient effort from the part of the testee. Motivation may be compromised, particularly in psychiatric conditions. We examined associations between response bias on free recall and self-reported symptoms in depressed and PTSD patients.Participants and methodsThis is a cross-sectional study. Patients had depression (n = 48), or PTSD or other anxiety disorders (n = 37). A control group (n = 47%) had chronic pain disorder, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. The Green Word Memory Test (GWMT) was administered to all subjects. The Structured Inventory of Malingered. Symptomatology (SIMS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) were administered in subsamples. Study outcome was self-reported depressive symptoms in Symptom Validity Test (SVT) negative cases.ResultsAverage age of the participants was 45.1 years (SD 9.5), 48.5% were female. GWMT was positive in 52.3% of all cases, GWMT and SIMS were positive in 33.8%, and GWMT and SIMS were negative in 37.7%. No significant group effects on GWMT were found. Average BDI-II scores were 32.8 (SD 13.9) for depressed patients, 28.3 (15.5) for those with anxiety disorders, and 27.6 (14.1) for controls (P = 0.43). Seventy-eight percent of depressed GWMT negative cases reported at least moderate depressive symptoms (BDI-II > 18), and 44.4% severe symptoms (BDI-II > 29). Approximately half of the GWMT negative cases with anxiety disorders and controls scored BDI-II > 18.ConclusionsNon credible test performance is prevalent in disability claimants with affective, mood disorders. However, depressive symptoms per se do not explain poor effort on cognitive tasks.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Trouble is Brewing: Exploring the Relationship Between Time of Coffee Consumption and Short-Term Memory Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rayanna Shwom ◽  
Alycia Breig
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Short Term ◽  
School Students ◽  
Term Memory

Many high school students drink coffee either in the morning before a test to feel more awake or the night before a test so they can stay up later to study. However, it is unclear if it is more beneficial to a student’s memory, and therefore test performance, to drink coffee at night or in the morning. A case study experiment was performed in which six participants underwent two trials. In each trial, participants consumed coffee at varying times before taking a short-term memory test the following morning. Based on these test scores, the time at which coffee had the most beneficial effect on memory test performance was determined for each participant. It was found that the time of day that caffeine is consumed affects each high school student’s short-term memories differently based on personal factors, such as caffeine sensitivity. Although limited, these findings add to the field of research and have practical implications in terms of test performance for high school students.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

Symptomvalidierungstests in der neuropsychologischen Diagnostik: eine Analogstudie

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Merten ◽  
Matthias Henry ◽  
Robin Hilsabeck
Keyword(s):  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Word Memory Test ◽  
Word Memory ◽  
Complex Figure ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Figure Test ◽  
Word Completion

Zusammenfassung: In der neuropsychologischen Diagnostik, mehr noch aber in der Begutachtung gewinnen Symptomvalidierungstests (SVT) zur Untersuchung der Leistungsmotivation zunehmend an Bedeutung. In einer Analogstudie wurde die Güte zweier international bekannter Verfahren (Word Memory Test; Amsterdam Short Term Memory Test) sowie einer Neuentwicklung (Word Completion Memory Test) untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden Leistungstests eingesetzt: der Trail Making Test (TMT), der Complex Figure Test sowie die Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM). Eine Gruppe von 10 experimentellen Simulanten wurde spezifisch auf die Vortäuschung von Gedächtnisstörungen vorbereitet, während eine Kontrollgruppe (n = 10) optimale Testanstrengung zeigen sollte. Alle SVT führten im Gegensatz zu den Simulationsmarkern des TMT und der SPM zu einer ausgezeichneten Klassifikationsgüte (95-100 %). Die neuropsychologischen Leistungsmaße wiesen zwar signifikante Gruppenunterschiede aus, zeigten aber auch eine nicht unbedeutende Überlappung der Verteilungen. Mehr Studien sind notwendig, um den SVT in den deutschsprachigen Ländern den Platz zu sichern, den sie international aktuell in der klinisch-neuropsychologischen Forschung und Praxis einnehmen.

Tracking and Targeting: Investigating Item Performance on the English Section of a University Entrance Examination over a 4-Year Period

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Christopher Weaver ◽  
Yoko Sato
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Item Difficulty ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Measurement Theory ◽  
Entrance Examination ◽  
University Admissions ◽  
Entrance Examinations ◽  
National University

This empirical study introduces population targeting and cut-off point targeting as a systematic approach to evaluating the performance of items in the English section of university entrance examinations. Using Rasch measurement theory, we found that the item difficulty and the types of items in a series of national university entrance examinations varied considerably over a 4-year period. However, there was progress towards improved test performance in terms of an increased number of items assessing different language skills and content areas as well as an increased number targeting test takers’ knowledge of English. This study also found that productive items rather than receptive items better targeted test takers’ overall knowledge of English. Moreover, productive items were more consistently located around the probable cut point for university admissions. The paper concludes with a detailed account of a number of probable factors that could influence item performance, such as the use of rating scales. 本論文では、ある国立大学における大学入試の英語の問題の変化を実証的に検証したものである。テスト項目の結果を検証するための体系的なアプローチとして、「母集団を対象としたアプローチ」および「足きり点を対象としたアプローチ」という方法を導入した。ラッシュ・モデリングを用いて分析した結果、過去４年間の間に、項目の困難度および項目の型について、様々な技能を測定していること、内容も多様であること、英語の知識を検証している項目が増えたこと、などの点で大きく変化していることがわかった。さらに、産出能力の方が受容能力を測定する項目よりも入学者決定の際の足きり点の周辺に収束する傾向が見られた。項目ごとの成績に影響を及ぼす可能性のある多様な要因について詳細な検討を行った。

Relationship between medication adherence and psychosocial adjustment in patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-122
Author(s):  
Duygu Kes ◽  
Feray Gökdoğan
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Psychosocial Adjustment ◽  
Large City ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Adherence To Medication ◽  
The Relationship

Adherence to drug treatment is a multidimensional concept. It is affected by many factors, such as physiological, psychological, family, environmental and social conditions. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between adherence to medication and psychosocial adjustment. The aim was to explore the relationship between adherence to antidiabetic drugs and the psychosocial adjustment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted between March and June 2018. A convenience sample of participants was recruited from seven internal disease outpatient clinics at a public tertiary hospital, located in a large city that serves as a gateway to nearby rural and urban areas in the north-west region of Turkey. Data were collected using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS-7), and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale–Self Report (PAIS–SR). This study is reported in accordance with STROBE. Pearson’s correlation analysis found a significant weak positive correlation between all domains of the PAIS–SR and the total scores on the ARMS‐7. The participants’ scores on medication refill were found to be significantly and positively correlated with all of the PAIS–SR domain scores except the sexual relationships domain. Psychosocial care could play a crucial role in improving drug regimen adherence among patients with diabetes. Therefore, nurses should integrate psychosocial care into daily practice.

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