Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T18:11:46.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The ecological validity of neuropsychological assessment and the role of depressive symptoms in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2007

NAOMI CHAYTOR ,
NANCY TEMKIN ,
JOAN MACHAMER  and
SUREYYA DIKMEN
NAOMI CHAYTOR
Affiliation:
Regional Epilepsy Center, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
NANCY TEMKIN
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
JOAN MACHAMER
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
SUREYYA DIKMEN
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Evaluating the ecological validity of neuropsychological tests has become an increasingly important topic. Previous research suggests that neuropsychological tests have a moderate level of ecological validity when predicting everyday functioning. The presence of depressive symptoms, however, may impact the relationship between neuropsychological tests and real world performance. The current study empirically tests this hypothesis in a sample of 216 participants with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who completed neuropsychological testing, self-report of mood symptoms, and report of everyday functioning six months post-injury. Contrary to some previous research and clinical lore, results indicated that depression was weakly related to neuropsychological test performance, although it was more strongly related to everyday functioning. Neuropsychological test performance was also significantly related to everyday functioning. The ecological validity of the neuropsychological tests together was not impacted by depressive symptoms, when predicting significant other ratings of functional status. However, patient self-report seems somewhat less related to neuropsychological performance in those with significant depressive symptoms. Neuropsychological test performance was equally related to self and other report of everyday functioning in patients without significant depressive symptoms. (JINS, 2007, 13, 377–385.)

Keywords

Activities of daily livingEveryday functioningCognitionSelf-reportDepressed moodValidation studies
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , May 2007 , pp. 377 - 385
Copyright
© 2007 The International Neuropsychological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Burgess, P.W., Alderman, N., Evans, J., Emslie, H., & Wilson, B.A. (1998). The ecological validity of tests of executive function. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 4, 547–558.Google Scholar
Burt, D.B., Zembar, M.J., & Niederehe, G. (1995). Depression and memory impairment: A meta-analysis of the association, its pattern, and specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 285–305.Google Scholar
Buschke, H. (1973). Selective reminding for analysis of memory and learning. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 12, 543–550.Google Scholar
Bush, B.A., Novak, T.A., Schneider, J.J., & Madan, A. (2004). Depression following traumatic brain injury: The validity of the CES-D as a brief screening device. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 11, 195–201.Google Scholar
Chaytor, N. & Schmitter-Edgecombe, M. (2003). The ecological validity of neuropsychological tests: A review of the literature on everyday cognitive skills. Neuropsychology Review, 13, 181–197.Google Scholar
Chaytor, N., Schmitter-Edgecombe, M., & Burr, R. (2006). Improving the ecological validity of executive functioning assessment. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 21, 217–227.Google Scholar
Choi, S.C. (1977). Tests of equality of dependent correlation coefficients. Biometrika, 64, 645–647.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, C., Melville, P., Scheri, W.F., Morgan, T., MacAllister, W.S., Canfora, D.M., Berry, S.A., & Krupp, L.B. (2005). Perceived cognitive dysfunction and observed neuropsychological performance: Longitudinal relation in persons with multiple sclerosis. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 11, 614–619.Google Scholar
Dikmen, S., Bombardier, C., Machamer, J., Fann, J., & Temkin, N. (2004). Natural history of depression in traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 85, 1457–1464.Google Scholar
Dikmen, S., Machamer, J., Miller, B., Doctor, J., & Temkin, N. (2001). Functional status examination: A new instrument for assessing outcome in traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 18, 127–140.Google Scholar
Evans, J.J., Chua, S.E., McKenna, P.J., & Wilson, B.A. (1997). Assessment of the dysexecutive syndrome in schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 27, 1–12.Google Scholar
Fann, J.R., Uomoto, J.M., & Katon, W.J. (2001). Cognitive improvement with treatment of depression following mild traumatic brain injury. Psychosomatics, 42, 48–54.Google Scholar
Franzen, M.D. & Arnett, P.A. (1997). The validity of neuropsychological assessment procedures. In H.W. Reese & M.D. Franzen (Eds.), Biological and neuropsychological mechanisms: Life-span developmental psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Goldstein, G. & McCue, M. (1995). Differences between patient and informant functional outcome ratings in head-injured individuals. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health, 1, 25–35.Google Scholar
Grant, I., Olshen, R.A., Atkinson, J.H., Heaton, R.K., Nelson, J., McCutchan, J.A., & Weinrich, J.D. (1993). Depressed mood does not explain neuropsychological deficits in HIV-infected persons. Neuropsychology, 7, 53–61.Google Scholar
Heaton, R.K., Marcotte, T.D., Mindt, M.R., Sadek, J., Moore, D.J., Bentley, H., McCutchan, J.A., Reicks, C., Grant, I., & the HNRC Group (2004). The impact of HIV-associated neuropsychological impairment on everyday functioning. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10, 317–331.Google Scholar
Heinrichs, R.W. (1990). Current and emergent applications of neuropsychological assessment: Problems with validity and utility. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21, 171–176.Google Scholar
Jones, J.E., Hermann, B.P., Woodard, J.L., Barry, J.J., Gilliam, F., Kanner, A.M., & Meador, K.J. (2005). Screening for major depression in epilepsy with common self-report depression inventories. Epilepsia, 46, 731–735.Google Scholar
Jorge, R.E., Robinson, R.G., Moser, D., Tateno, A., Crespo-Facorro, B., & Arndt, S. (2004). Major depression following traumatic brain injury. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 42–50.Google Scholar
Kaitaro, T., Koskinen, S., & Kaipio, M. (1995). Neuropsychological problems in everyday life: A 5-year follow-up study of young severely closed-head-injured patients. Brain Injury, 9, 713–727.Google Scholar
Kreutzer, J.S., Seel, R.T., & Gourley, E. (2001). The prevalence and symptom rates of depression after traumatic brain injury: A comprehensive examination. Brain Injury, 15, 563–576.Google Scholar
Long, C.J. & Collins, L.F. (1997). Ecological validity and forensic neuropsychological assessment. In R.J. McCaffrey, A.D. Williams, J.M. Fisher, & L.C. Laing (Eds.), The Practice of Forensic Neuropsychology: Meeting Challenges in the Courtroom. New York: Plenum Press.
Long, C.J. & Kibby, M.Y. (1995). Ecological validity of neuropsychological tests: A look at neuropsychology's past and the impact that ecological issues may have on its future. Advances in Medical Psychotherapy, 8, 59–78.Google Scholar
McCauley, S.R., Pedroza, C., Brown, S., Boake, C., Levin, H.S., Goodman, H.S., & Merritt, S.G. (2006). Confirmatory factor structure of the center for epidemiologic studies-depression scales (CES-D) in mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 20, 519–527.Google Scholar
Parikh, R.M., Eden, D.T., Price, T.R., & Robinson, R.G. (1988). The sensitivity and specificity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in screening for post-stroke depression. International Journal of Psychiatry and Medicine, 18, 169–181.Google Scholar
Psychological Corporation. (1999). Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Brace & Company.
Radloff, L.S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.Google Scholar
Rapoport, M.J., McCullagh, S., Shammi, P., & Feinstein, A. (2005). Cognitive impairment associated with major depression following mild and moderate traumatic brain injury. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 17, 61–65.Google Scholar
Reitan, R.M. & Wolfson, D. (1988). Traumatic brain injury: Recovery and rehabilitation, Vol. 2. Tucson, AZ: Neuropsychology Press.
Reitan, R.M. & Wolfson, D. (1995). Category Test and Trail Making Test as measures of frontal lobe functions. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 9, 50–56.Google Scholar
Rohling, M.L., Green, P., Allen, L.M., & Iverson, G.L. (2002). Depressive symptoms and neurocognitive test scores in patients passing symptom validity tests. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17, 205–222Google Scholar
Satz, P., Forney, D.L., Zaucha, K., Asarnow, R.R., Light, R., McCleary, C., Levin, H., Kelly, D., Bergsneider, M., Hovda, D., Martin, N., Namerow, N., & Becker, D. (1998). Depression, cognition, and functional correlates of recovery outcome after traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 12, 537–553.Google Scholar
Sbordone, R.J. (1996). Ecological validity: Some critical issues for the neuropsychologist. In R.J. Sbordone & C.J. Long (Eds.), Ecological Validity of Neuropsychological Testing, pp. 15–41. Delray Beach, FL: GR Press/St. Lucie Press.
Sbordone, R.J. (1997). The ecological validity of neuropsychological testing. In A.M. Horton, D. Wedding, & J. Webster (Eds.), The Neuropsychology Handbook, Vol. 1, Foundations and Assessment (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Sbordone, R.J. & Guilmette, T.J. (1999). Ecological validity: Prediction of everyday and vocational functioning from neuropsychological test data. In J.J. Sweet (Ed.), Forensic neuropsychology: Fundamentals and practice. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger.
Silver, C.H. (2000). Ecological validity of neuropsychological assessment in childhood traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 15, 973–988.Google Scholar
Spreen, O. & Benton, A. (1977). Neurosensory Center Comprehensive Examination for Aphasia. Victoria, B.C., Canada: University of Victoria Neuropsychology Laboratory.
Sunderland, A., Harris, J.E., & Baddeley, A.D. (1983). Do laboratory tests predict everyday memory? A neuropsychological study. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22, 341–357.Google Scholar
Temkin, N.R., Anderson, G.D., Winn, H.R., Ellenbogen, R.G., Britz, G.W., Schuster, J., Lucas, T., Newell, D.W., Mansfield, P.N., Machamer, J.E., Barber, J., & Dikmen, S.S. (2007). Magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury: A randomized trial. Lancet Neurology, 1, 29–38.Google Scholar
Temkin, N., Machamer, J., & Dikmen, S. (2003). Correlates of functional status 3–5 years after traumatic brain injury with CT abnormalities. Journal of Neurotrauma, 20, 229–241.Google Scholar
Veiel, H.O. (1997). A preliminary profile of neuropsychological deficits associated with major depression. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 19, 587–603.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1997). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales—III. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.