FEASIBILITY OF THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL SPECTRUM IN PREDICTION OF OUTCOME FOLLOWING HEAD-INJURY

This study provided further substantiation of the neuropsychological s pectrum conceptualization (Templer, Campodonico, Trent, Spencer, & Har tlage, to appear; Templer, Spencer, & Hartlage, 1993; Templer, Campodo nico, Trent, & Spencer, 1991). Two hundred and two traumatic brain inj ury patients were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-R evised, the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery, the Wisconsin C ard Sorting Test, the Booklet Category Test, and Trails A and B. The c orrelations between neuropsychological and intellectual tests were sig nificantly lower than the correlations within intelligence tests and w ithin neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological tests predicted out come better than intelligence tests. This was interpreted in terms of outcome for severely brain-damaged patients being more dependent upon basic neuropsychological functioning than on abstract thinking ability . (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.