BASE-RATE AND SIMULATED SYMPTOMS OF MILD HEAD-INJURY AMONG NORMALS

This study examined the vulnerability of several self-report instrumen ts commonly used in neuropsychological evaluation - the Iowa Interview for Partial Seizure-Like Symptoms, Postconcussion Checklist (PCL), Po stconcussion Syndrome Checklist (PCSC), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) - to exaggerated or feigned complaints. Two hundred twenty-nine college student volunteers completed the instruments under one of thre e conditions: 1) Base Rate/Control; simulated Head Injured, but 2) wit hout or 3) with prospect of financial gain for the injury. Although th e simulated Head Injured groups did not differ significantly from one another, both groups endorsed more symptoms than the Base Rate group, suggesting that the instruments are vulnerable to simulation. Base rat es of head injury symptoms in the normal population, laypersons' knowl edge about the sequelae of mild head injury, and implications of using symptom checklists in medicolegal evaluations were discussed, as was the desirability of replicating this study with noncollege student pop ulations.