Psychometric intelligence in patients with traumatic brain injury: Utilityof a new screening measure

Objective: To evaluate the validity of the General Ability Measure for Adul ts (GAMA) in a sample of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Comparison with criterion standards of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and measures of injury severity. Setting: Regional rehabilitation center. Participants: One-year prospective series of consecutive rehabilitation ref errals, including 42 adult patients with TBI. Main Outcome Measures: GAMA and WAIS-R IQ scores were obtained within 1 yea r after injury and compared with each other and with measures of injury sev erity. Results: The GAMA demonstrated statistically significant covariance with th e WAIS-R and was able to discriminate severe TBI from mild/moderate TBI. Th e correlation between the GAMA and length of coma fell just short of statis tical significance. Conclusions: The GAMA is sufficiently sensitive to the presence or absence of severe TBI but may not be sufficiently sensitive to the exact degree of injury severity. (C) 1999 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medici ne and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.