Clinical Utility of Wechsler's Deterioration Index in Screening for Behavioral Impairment

Abstract

Utilizing the Halstead Impairment Index derived from the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological battery as the defining criterion for the presence or absence of brain-behavior deficiency, the current investigation examined the hypothesis that the Wechsler Deterioration Index is a predictively efficient measure for screening behaviorally impaired subjects from nonimpaired subjects. Subjects were 35 adult examinees consecutively referred for neuropsychological assessment and were divided into two groups on the basis of Halstead indices. The impaired group included 12 men and 7 women whose ages ranged from 17 to 59 yr.; the nonimpaired group were 10 men and 6 women whose ages ranged from 16 to 43 yr. The Wechsler indices for the impaired and nonimpaired groups represent two significantly different populations with the discrepancy between the two groups' scores falling within the predicted direction. A positive correlation between the Halstead Index and the Wechsler Index was indicated for all subjects, but no significant relationship between the Halstead Index and other psychometric ratios. Implications of the results are restricted because there was no normal control group and independent neurological screening was limited.