NEURODIAGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS OF ABNORMAL VERBAL-PERFORMANCE IQ DISCREPANCIES ON THE WAIS-R - A COMPARISON WITH THE STANDARDIZATION SAMPLE

The neurodiagnostic value of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Verbal-Performance IQ (VIQ-PIQ) discrepancies was evaluated in a brain-damaged sample. The VIQ-PIQ differences of 260 neurological ly impaired patients was compared to the WAIS-R standardization sample . The average VIQ-PIQ discrepancy of the patients was significantly la rger than the mean IQ difference for normals. Comparison of the number of subjects whose VIQ-PIQ discrepancy equated or exceeded 95% of the controls revealed no differences for the total sample and for individu als with low average or average intelligence. Conversely, the frequenc y of abnormal VIQ-PIQ differences was significantly greater among pati ents with Full Scale IQs less-than-or-equal-to 79. The occurrence of a n abnormal VIQ-PIQ discrepancy in persons with IQs less-than-or-equal- to 79 should serve as a stimulus for further assessment.