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A mobile application neurocognitive assessment has been used in place of equipment-intensive computerized neurocognitive-assessment protocols. A previous study showed high to very high test-retest reliability of neurocognitive assessment using the mobile application in healthy adults, but no researchers have explored test-retest reliability, reliable change indices (RCIs), and sex effects in middle school and high school populations when conducted 1 year apart. To examine the test-retest reliability and RCIs of baseline data collected at 2 time points approximately 1 year apart using a mobile application neurocognitive test in middle school and high school athletes. The secondary purpose was to investigate sex differences in neurocognitive measures. Cross-sectional study. Institution. A total of 172 middle school and high school healthy student-athletes (mean age = 13.78 ± 1.59 years). Mobile application neurocognitive test scores (reaction time, impulse control, inspection, and memory). Neurocognitive measures had low test-retest reliability across a 1-year time period in the middle and high school settings. Upon retesting, reaction time and inspection time improved in both middle and high school athletes, and impulse control improved in middle school athletes. More athletes in middle school showed RCI improvements compared with high school athletes. Although both males and females demonstrated improvements in neurocognitive measures throughout adolescence, males outperformed females in reaction time and impulse control. A mobile application neurocognitive test displayed unacceptably low test-retest reliability, most likely due to the cognitive development occurring throughout adolescence. Additionally, significant RCIs were noted. These naturally occurring improvements due to cognitive development could mask postconcussion deficits. Age and sex warrant consideration with respect to the neurocognitive performance of middle and high school athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The comparison of baseline neuropsychological test results with post-concussion neuropsychological test results is a common practice to assess the aftermath of a sport-related concussion. The effectiveness of this approach is compromised when invalid baseline test performances occur. The present study was designed to assess the prevalence of invalid baseline test results of high school athletes, using the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). Method: A large sample of 8938 high school athletes' baseline test data were examined, including the four ImPACT Composite scores and three sets of embedded invalid indices: five ImPACT Invalidity Indicators, four ImPACT sandbagging red flags, and two ImPACT sandbagging subtest flags. Results: There were 8394 (93.91%) Valid scorers, who failed no Invalidity Indicators; 544 (6.09%) Invalid scorers, who failed at least one Invalidity Indicator, 2718 (30.41%) Red Flag scorers, who had at least one Red Flag score; and 4154 (46.47%) Subtest Flag scorers, who had at least one Subtest Flag score. Of the entire sample, 4485 (54.65%) failed at least one of the invalid indices. Conclusions: As in prior studies of high school athletes, the Invalidity Indicators identified a low portion (6.09%) of the athletes with invalid baseline test results, while other invalidity measures found 30.41% to 46.48% of the athletes producing questionable test results. The high rate of invalid test findings suggested in this research calls for greater efforts to improve the accuracy of baseline test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five validity scales derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the Infrequency Scale (F), Infrequency-Psychopathology Scale (F[p]), Symptom Validity Scale (FBS), Henry-Heilbronner Index (HHI), and Response Bias Scale (RBS) were evaluated in 118 litigation patients (LPs) and 163 clinical patients (CPs). Varied statistical methods, including hierarchical logistic regression analyses, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, Area Under the Curve (AUC) values, and sensitivity/specificity analyses, showed that RBS performed better than the other four scales in identifying LPs. The regression analyses found RBS to be the most significant predictor of LP and CP group membership (p < .001). The effectiveness of RBS in identifying LPs, all of whom reported neuropsychological symptoms, was attributed to its development based on cognitive effort test scores. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses stalking of physicians, highlighting a case study of a plastic surgeon who become the object of a love obsessional patient. Definition of stalking; Objects of stalking; Types of stalkers; Victims of stalking; Short-term stalking activities experienced by physicians; Guidelines for the risk assessment of stalking.

The article presents a study on the responses of Irish and Italians of two social classes on the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale. A total of 100 male patients were selected from the surgical wards of the Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital and the Brooklyn Veterans Administration Hospital. The patients consisted of four groups of 25 subjects: namely, (a) lower-middle class Irish, (b) lower-middle class Italians, (c) lower class Irish, and (d) lower class Italians. The results of this research clearly indicate that Irish and Italian subjects in America from lower-middle and lower classes responded similarly on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The findings of the study are in agreement with previous evaluations of the social desirability phenomenon among different cultural and subcultural groups. It should be noted that the stability of the social desirability factor has been consistently established, even though past studies employed different methodological approaches. The similarity of Social Desirability scores among Irish and Italian subjects is especially noteworthy when it is realized that past investigations found numerous personality and behavioral differences between individuals from these two ethnic groups.

Objective This study was designed to determine concussion incidence, risk, and relative risk among middle and high school athletes participating in various sports. Method Data were retrospectively obtained from 10,334 athletes of 12 different sports in Hawaii. In addition to determining the overall concussion incidence, comparisons of incidence, risk, and relative risk were made according to age, sex, concussion history, sport, and football position. Results The overall incidence of concussion among youth athletes was 1,250 (12.1%). The relative risk for a concussion was almost two times greater in 18-year olds than in 13-year-old athletes. In comparable sports, girls had a 1.5 times higher concussion risk than boys. Athletes with a prior concussion had 3–5 times greater risk to sustain a concussion than those with no history of a concussion. Among varied sports, wrestling and martial arts had the highest relative risk of a concussion, followed by cheerleading, football, and track and field. No differences in concussion risks were found among the football players in different positions. Conclusions Older youths, females, those with a history of concussion, and those participating in high contact sports were found to have higher risks of sustaining a concussion. The findings increase awareness of concussion patterns in young athletes and raise concerns regarding protective strategies and concussion management in youth sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a 3-year follow-up study of the predictive validity of a short-form Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) with prekindergarten children. The short-form WPPSI IQ correlated significantly with performances in Listening, Mathematics and Writing Skills at the end of the first- and second-grade years. The correlations were of the same general magnitude as those found in a previous predictive validity study of the Full WPPSI, but below those of most validation reports.

Primary objective: To investigate possible sex differences in neuropsychological functioning among patients following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods and procedures: Retrospective records analysis of the neuropsychological test results of 102 participants with head injury, including 62 males and 40 females. Main outcome and results: A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that females and males performed similarly on neuropsychological tests, on average, ∼2 years after minor head trauma. A sex-by-age interaction effect was found on the Category and Trail Making A Tests, with a pattern similar to those obtained in a previous research. Conclusions: Although past research has found that females develop more TBI-related neuropsychological deficits than males in the immediate post-injury period, the present study found that, overall, sex differences in the performance of patients with mild TBI on a variety of neuropsychological tests were insignificant. More investigation into the sex-by-age interaction effect appears warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) are widely used for the detection of exaggerated psychological complaints, although little is known about the results of these scales with racial or ethnic minority individuals. Five validity scales derived from the MMPI-2, including the F Scale, the Back Infrequency Scale, the Symptom Validity Scale, the Infrequency-Psychopathology Scale, and the Dissimulation Scale-MMPI-2, were evaluated in 157 medical patients-109 Caucasian Americans and 48 Asian Americans. All patients were involved in personal injury litigation or seeking compensation for alleged psychological conditions. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) conducted on the five validity scales revealed no significant group effects for race. The results were consistent with the limited available data on the MMPI-2 validity scales with minority group samples. Further research with other racial minorities, including relevant extra-test criteria for malingering, is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of depression and anxiety upon neuropsychological test scores of candidates for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was examined. Sixty patients were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, along with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Regression analyses were conducted in which the neuropsychological test scores were predicted using age, education, depression, anxiety, and combined depression-anxiety scores. While age and education were significant predictors of several neuropsychological test measures, no significant regression analysis results were obtained for the depression, anxiety and combined depression-anxiety scores. Similarities and discrepancies between this research and previous studies are discussed. It appears that low levels of preoperative depression and anxiety states do not affect neuropsychological functioning among CABG candidates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A psychological assessment is critical for morbidly obese patients seeking Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) surgery. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has been widely used in past psychological studies of bariatric surgery patients, but, to date, there is no published research on the more recent version of the MMPI, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI2), and its relation to RYGBP outcome.This investigation was designed to evaluate the predictive validity of the MMPI-2 with respect to outcome of RYGBP for morbid obesity. Methods: The research involved a retrospective analysis of MMPI-2 scores of 2 groups of patients 1 year following RYGBP: 1) those who lost ≥ 50% of their excess weight and 2) those who lost <50% of their excess weight. Subjects were 52 morbidly obese patients (mean age 44 years, mean BMI 56 kg/m2).The measurement of psychological variables consisted of the MMPI-2 scores of 3 validity scales, 10 clinical scales, and 3 Content Scales, and BMI. Results: Those who lost <50% excess weight scored significantly higher than those who lost >50% excess weight on the F,Hysteria, Paranoia, and Health Concerns scales of the MMPI-2, and significantly lower on the Masculinity-femininity scale. Stepwise regression analysis found that a combination of the Health Concerns and Masculinity-femininity scales was the most accurate predictor model for 1-year post-surgery weight loss. Conclusion: A standard personality measure, the MMPI-2, appears to be associated with weight loss outcome 1 year after RYGBP. Psychological traits such as anxiety and excessive health concerns are likely to influence bariatric surgical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pathfinder is designed to update my previous article on medical malpractice resources, at 16 LRSQ 31-68 no. 1 (1995). Also included in this work are topics not covered in the original article. The focus is to provide medical malpractice law information resources in print, CD-ROM, and World Wide Web resources. The resources provided are to assist the personal injury attorneys litigating medical malpractice claims. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Five MMPI-2 validity scales were evaluated with 120 personal injury litigation patients (LP) and 208 clinical patients (CP) along with 43 normal participants (NP). The validity measures included the Fake Bad Scale (FBS), Infrequency scale (F), Back Infrequency scale (Eb), Infrequency-Psychopathology scale (F[p]), and the Dissimulation scale-2 (DA2). Results showed that only the FBS significantly differentiated the LP and CP, whereas the LP and CP scored significantly higher than the NP on FBS, F, Fb, and Ds2. The content of the FBS, with several items from the Hypochondriasis (Hs) and Hysteria (Hy) Scales, appears to enhance the FBS' ability to detect the somatic overreporting often observed with personal injury claimants. The authors suggest that the FBS may be a useful index of symptom magnification when employed within a comprehensive assessment of malingering in personal injury plaintiffs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers an update on forensic science in the U.S. as of May 1998. The "National Guidelines for Death Investigation" has been published by the National Institute of Justice, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) award has been given to certified public accountant (CPA) Eric N. Critchfield. The workshop "The Art of Courtroom Testifying: Basics and Beyond" will be delivered by Doctor William T. Tsushima in Oahu, Hawaii on July 11-12.

An equally weighted WPPSI short-form (Comprehension, Arithmetic, Block Design, and Picture Completion) was administered to 64 prekindergarten children, while a verbally weighted WPPSI short-form (Comprehension, Arithmetic, Block Design, and Vocabulary) was administered to 63 prekindergarten children. All subjects subsequently were administered school achievement tests at the end of the first-and second-grade years. Low, but significant correlations between the FSIQ and achievement test scores were obtained; the Arithmetic and Block Design subtests were the best subtest predictors of school achievement in grades one and two. The predictive validities of the two WPPSI short-forms were found to be essentially equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the psychological characteristics of those who terminate treatment for headaches prematurely, this investigation employed 179 post-traumatic headache patients and 67 nontrauma headache patients who underwent electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback therapy. Dependent variables included the patient's age, socioeconomic status, duration of headache, forehead EMG levels, and MMPI. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed no significant differences between the drop-outs and non-drop-outs among the trauma headache patients, but three MMPI scales (Psychopathic-Deviate, Paranoia, and Mania) were significantly higher among the nontrauma headache patients who dropped out of treatment. These data imply that different characteristics underlie the drop-out behavior for different pain conditions and that efforts to uncover a single drop-out pattern may not be realistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on the use of the low back and the dorsal scales in the identification of functional low back patients. The present study was designed to investigate further the validity of the Lb and DOR Scales with three groups of patients, those with functional low back pain, those with functional gastrointestinal pain and those with a psychoneurotic disorder. If the Lb and DOR Scales measure characterstics unique to persons with low back pain, then the functional back patients should obtain significantly higher scores on these scales than do the persons from the other two groups.

The MMPI was administered to a group of 27 male transsexual candidates for sex change surgery, and their test results were compared with those of 24 male kidney transplant surgical candidates and 26 males suspected of having a psychophysiological disorder. The data revealed a notable absence Of psychopathology among the transsexuals as well as the kidney patients, while the psychophysiological patients showed the expected elevations in the Hypochondriasis, Depression, and Hysteria scales. The results were in keeping with previous research of male-to-female sex change candidates that reject the notion that transsexuals invariably suffer major emotional disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the clinical limitations of the Low Back (Lb) Scale. In a study, the Lb Scale, a special derivative of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, to 20 patients with functional low back pain and 20 patients with verifiable organic evidence for their low back complaints was administered. The Social Desirability Scale also was administered in order to assess the test-taking attitudes of the patients. The two groups of patients were equated in terms of age and sex. The results revealed no significant differences between the functional and organic patients in scores on the Lb Scale and on the Social Desirability Scale. The findings, which were consistent with other recent studies of the Lb Scale, strongly suggested that the clinical usefulness of this scale is highly questionable.

The article focuses on the relationship between Mini-Mult and Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory (MMPI). The relationship between the MMPI and a shortened version of the MMPI, the Mini-Mult, has been examined in various clinical settings. A review of the recent literature indicates high correlations between scores on individual scales for the two forms with psychiatric outpatients, psychiatric inpatients, neurological patients, delinquents and alcoholics. The study examined the correspondence between the Mini-Mult and the standard MMPI of medical patients considered to have possible psychological problems associated with their physical symptom.