Citation

Joseph AC, Lippa SM, McNally SM, Garcia KM, Leary JB, Dsurney J, Chan L. Appl. Neuropsychol. Adult 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/23279095.2019.1661247

PMID

31519111

Abstract

Knowledge of intelligence is essential for interpreting cognitive performance following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Test of Premorbid Functioning (ToPF), a word reading test co-normed with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 4^th Edition (WAIS-IV), was examined as a tool for estimating premorbid intelligence in persons with a history of TBI. Fifty-two participants with mild, moderate, or severe TBI were administered the ToPF and WAIS-IV between two weeks and 19 months post-injury. The independent ability of the ToPF/demographic score and the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) to predict WAIS-IV Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) was examined, as were discrepancies between ToPF and WAIS-IV scores within and between participants. The ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ accounted for a significant proportion of variability in actual FSIQ, above and beyond that accounted for by education or time since injury. ToPF and WAIS-IV scores did not differ by injury severity. In our sample, the ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ underestimated intelligence in a substantial portion of our participants (31%), particularly in those with high average to superior intelligence. Finally, VCI scores were more predictive of actual FSIQ than the ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ. The ToPF frequently underestimated post-injury intelligence and is therefore not accurately measuring premorbid intelligence in our sample, particularly in those with above average to superior intelligence. Clinicians are encouraged to administer the entire WAIS-IV, or at minimum the VCI subtests, for a more accurate measure of intelligence in those with above average intelligence and history of TBI.

Language: en

Keywords

Assessment; intelligence; neuropsychology tests; rehabilitation; traumatic brain injury