Application of new WAIS-III/WMS-III discrepancy scores for evaluating memory functioning: relationship between intellectual and memory ability

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2006 May;28(4):592-604. doi: 10.1080/13803390590949304.

Abstract

Analysis of the discrepancy between memory and intellectual ability has received some support as a means for evaluating memory impairment. Recently, comprehensive base rate tables for General Ability Index (GAI) minus memory discrepancy scores (i.e., GAI-memory) were developed using the WAIS-III/WMS-III standardization sample (Lange, Chelune, & Tulsky, in press). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of GAI-memory discrepancy scores to identify memory impairment in 34 patients with Alzheimer's type dementia (DAT) versus a sample of 34 demographically matched healthy participants. On average, patients with DAT obtained significantly lower scores on all WAIS-III and WMS-III indexes and had larger GAI-memory discrepancy scores. Clinical outcome analyses revealed that GAI-memory scores were useful at identifying memory impairment in patients with DAT versus matched healthy participants. However, GAI-memory discrepancy scores failed to provide unique interpretive information beyond that which is gained from the memory indexes alone. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intelligence / physiology*
  • Intelligence Tests / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Memory Disorders / etiology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Reference Standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Wechsler Scales / standards*
  • Wechsler Scales / statistics & numerical data*