PREMORBID INTELLECT AND ORGANIC DETERIORA TION IN WECHSLERS TESTS

The author sums up the views and results of the research into the diag nostics of deterioration and assessment of the pre-morbid state by Wec hsler's tests. On the basis of 25 studies, he states the unreliability of Wechsler's index of deterioration, of vocabulary scatter and compa rison of verbal IQ and performance IQ. He points out new trends, such as diagnostics of intellect deterioration and assessment of pre-morbid level on the basis of other types of vocabulary tests in the Anglo-Sa xon area, and using demographic coefficients for finding out the pre-m orbid level. In spite of several decades of criticism, Wechsler's appr oaches are used by many clinical psychologists. The author points out the importance of clinical analysis of patient's intellectual performa nces and their comparison with the assumed pre-morbid performance. The importance of clinical analysis is - with regard to the low validity of Wechsler's constructions - higher than it is sometimes expected.