Neuropsychological Correlates of Tested Vocational Aptitudes for Adults with Epilepsy in a Rehabilitation Setting

Abstract

This study examines the relationship of tested vocational aptitudes to measures of neuropsychological functioning in an epilepsy rehabilitation setting. Subjects were 83 adults with epilepsy receiving outpatient care at a large urban medical facility. All were administered the Neuropsychological Battery for Epilepsy and the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). Data analysis includes the construction of three correlational matrices comparing vocational aptitude measures with measures of intellectual and neuropsychological functioning. A stepwise linear regression analysis was used to explore the degree to which GATB variables might approximate an overall measure of neuropsychological impairment. Consistent, moderately high correlations were found between GATB aptitude scores and overall measures of intellectual and neuropsychological functioning. GATB aptitudes measuring numerical ability, spatial abiity, and motor speed coordination were found to be significantly related to a measure of overall neuropsychological impairment. While this relationship was not strong enough to allow accurate prediction of impairment level using GATB scores alone, it was concluded that the GATB demonstrates correlations with measures of overall neuropsychological and intellectual status that are worthy of note to epilepsy rehabilitation workers.