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The Modified Word Learning Test and the Aged Psychiatric Patient

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

N. Bolton ,
R. D. Savage  and
M. Roth
N. Bolton
Affiliation:
University of Durham
R. D. Savage
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
M. Roth
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
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Extract

This paper reports primarily the use of the MWLT (Walton and Black, 1957) on aged subjects with a variety of clinical conditions. Earlier studies by Walton (1958), Walton, White, Black and Young (1959) and Walton and Mather (1961) demonstrated that the MWLT identified over 80 per cent. of organics without any misclassification of non-organics. More recently, Orme, Lee and Smith (1964) found that 81 per cent. of organics were correctly classified, but only 69 per cent. of non-organics. Misclassification was particularly serious with schizophrenics (70 per cent.). Other reports, including Newcombe and Steinberg (1964), White and Knox (1965), have found as few as 47 per cent. of the organic group correctly classified. These recent studies cast some doubt upon the original claims of the MWLT as a diagnostic test of generalized brain damage. We hope to present further evidence on the efficiency of the MWLT; particularly on its use with elderly subjects.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 113 , Issue 503 , October 1967 , pp. 1139 - 1140
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1967 

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References

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