Shipley Institute Of Living Scale Research Articles

Course and Prediction of Dissociation in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Personality-Disordered Comparison Subjects: A 24-Year Follow-Up Study

ABSTRACT The first purpose of this study was to determine the course of dissociation among patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and personality-disordered comparison subjects (OPD) over 24 years of prospective follow-up. The second purpose was to determine clinically meaningful predictors of dissociation among patients with BPD. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) was administered to 290 patients with BPD and 72 personality-disordered comparison subjects at baseline, and then once every two years over 24 years of prospective follow-up. Baseline predictors were assessed with the Revised Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ-R), the SCID-I, and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Time-varying predictors were assessed at baseline and every subsequent two years by means of the Abuse History Interview (AHI). Patients with BPD had higher baseline dissociation scores than personality-disordered comparison subjects. Whilst dissociation decreased significantly over time for both patient groups, the BPD group showed a steeper decline. Severity of childhood sexual abuse, adult history of rape, adult history of partner violence, and IQ were multivariate predictors of dissociation among patients with BPD. Taken together, the present findings suggest that a combination of interpersonal trauma exposure and cognitive abilities may contribute to the severity of dissociation in adult patients with BPD.

0125 Fluid Intelligence Does Not Mediate Cognitive Throughput Deficits during Total Sleep Deprivation

Abstract Introduction The Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) has been used in sleep research to measure slowing of cognitive throughput. The task shows large aptitude differences in baseline performance and substantial inter-individual differences in vulnerability to performance deficits during total sleep deprivation (TSD). Fluid intelligence (Gf) is generally positively related to processing speed. However, DSST performance is typically found to be independent of Gf. The possible interaction of sleep loss with Gf on performance remains to be examined. Methods N=56 healthy adults (ages 22–37, 29 females) completed a 4-day/3-night in-laboratory study and were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to a TSD (n=37) or control (n=19) condition. Sleep opportunities were from 22:00–08:00 on the first (baseline) and last (recovery) night for the TSD group and on all three nights for the control group. Subjects completed a 4min, computerized DSST twice on day 2 (baseline) and twice on day 3 (TSD or control). At baseline, subjects also completed the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS). The abstraction score was used to categorize fluid intelligence (Gf) as relatively high (≥34, n=36) or low (<34, n=20). Mean DSST throughput (number of correct responses in the 4min task) was analyzed using mixed-effects ANOVA with fixed effects for day (2, 3), condition (TSD, control), and their interaction, with and without Gf category (high, low) as a covariate. Results As expected, DSST throughput was significantly reduced by TSD (day by condition interaction: F[1,166]=27.99, p<0.001). Adding Gf had no effect on the day by condition interaction, and Gf category was not significant as a covariate (F[1,166]=1.67, p=0.20). Conclusion Our results indicate that the Gf measure from the SILS does not capture the aspects of cognition that are influenced by TSD and that lead to a decline in DSST throughput. This is consistent with findings that while the DSST has high sensitivity for cognitive dysfunction in clinical settings, it has low specificity in identifying components of cognition responsible for dysfunction. Support (If Any) ONR N00014-13-1-0302 and PRMRP W81XWH-20-1-0442.

Psychometric Properties of the Shipley Block Design Task: A Study With Jamaican Young Adults

We examined the structure of the new Block Patterns (BP) test from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale–Second Edition in a sample of Jamaican young adults. To date, very little has been published on the properties of this subtest’s items and scores. The BP test is similar in design to the Block Design subtest found in many cognitive ability assessments but uses a matching format that minimizes the need for excess materials and time. We analyzed the BP items using item response theory (IRT) methods. Although designed to measure a single construct, the analyses from this study found that the BP subtest is likely measuring more than a single construct, which confounds the interpretation of the instrument’s scores. Before the subtest is used clinically, more research should be done to purposefully investigate the effects of ancillary variables on its scores.

Cognition Predicts Quality of Life Among Patients With End-Stage Liver Disease

Impaired cognitive functioning and poor quality of life (QoL) are both common among patients with end-stage liver disease; however, it is unclear how these are related. This study examines how specific cognitive domains predict QoL among liver transplant candidates by replicating Stewart and colleagues' (2010) 3-factor model of cognitive functioning, and determining how variability in these cognitive domains predicts mental health and physical QoL. The sample included 246 patients with end-stage liver disease who were candidates for liver transplant at a large, Midwestern health care center. Measures, including the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Trail Making Test, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Short-Form Health Survey-36 Version 2, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, comprised latent variables representing global intellectual functioning, psychomotor speed, and learning and memory functioning. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicate that the 3-factor solution model comprised of global intellectual functioning, psychomotor speed, and learning and memory functioning fit the data well. Addition of physical and mental health QoL latent factors resulted in a structural model also with good fit. Results related physical QoL to global intellectual functioning, and mental health QoL to global intellectual functioning and psychomotor functioning. Findings elucidate a relationship between cognition and QoL and support the use of routine neuropsychological screening with end-stage liver disease patients, specifically examining the cognitive domains of global intellectual, psychomotor, and learning and memory functioning. Subsequently, screening results may inform implementation of targeted interventions to improve QoL.

The impact of clinical and demographic variables on cognitive performance in methamphetamine-dependent individuals in rural South Carolina.

Inconsistencies in reports on methamphetamine (METH) associated cognitive dysfunction may be attributed, at least in part, to the diversity of study sample features (eg, clinical and demographic characteristics). The current study assessed cognitive function in a METH-dependent population from rural South Carolina, and the impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on performance. Seventy-one male (28.2%) and female (71.8%) METH-dependent subjects were administered a battery of neurocognitive tests including the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Grooved Pegboard Test, California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Demographic and clinical characteristics (eg, gender, frequency of METH use) were examined as predictors of performance. Subjects scored significantly lower than expected on one test of attention and one of fine motor function, but performed adequately on all other tests. There were no predictors of performance on attention; however, more frequent METH use was associated with better performance for males and worse for females on fine motor skills. The METH-dependent individuals in this population exhibit very limited cognitive impairment. The marked differences in education, Intellectual Quotient (IQ), and gender in our sample when compared to the published literature may contribute to these findings. Characterization of the impact of clinical and/or demographic features on cognitive deficits could be important in guiding the development of treatment interventions.

Understanding psychopathy through an evaluation of interpersonal behavior: Testing the factor structure of the interpersonal measure of psychopathy in a large sample of jail detainees.

Interpersonal characteristics are core features of the psychopathy construct which have a unique pattern of correlations with a variety of external correlates. To improve the assessment of interpersonal traits, the current study evaluated the internal structure of the Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy (IM-P) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in a large sample of jail inmates. A 17-item, 3-factor (Dominance, Grandiosity, and Boundary Violations) structure evidenced good fit in European American inmates. A second CFA demonstrated good fit for this structure in a sample of African American inmates. Moreover, a multigroup CFA indicated structural invariance between European and African American inmates. External validity was tested and demonstrated through positive correlations between IM-P factor scores and Psychopathy Checklist--Revised total and facet scores (R. D. Hare, 2003) and antisocial personality disorder symptoms and diagnoses. Modest correlations between Grandiosity scores and scores on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale--Revised (R. A. Zachary, 1994) were also observed. Finally, a step-down hierarchical regression was conducted to test for racial bias of the IM-P factor scores in relation to external correlates. Little evidence was found for slope bias, but there was evidence of intercept bias for some analyses. Implications and advantages of assessing psychopathy through a comprehensive evaluation of interpersonal traits are discussed.

The Relationship between Contrast Sensitivity, Gait, and Reading Speed in Parkinson's Disease

ABSTRACT Parkinson's disease (PD) results in reduced walking speed and visual difficulties, including difficulty reading (Davidsdottir, Cronin-Golomb, & Lee, 2005). PD is characterized by a reduction in dopamine, which is instrumental in determining a person's contrast sensitivity (CS). This study assessed the relationship between CS, gait (step length and walking speed), and reading speed in 18 non-demented PD volunteers with normal acuity. We found that CS correlated with walking speed (r = .57, p = .01), step length (r = .53, p = .02), and reading speed (r = .54, p = .02). Visual acuity (which has not been tied to dopamine in the same way) correlated with reading speed (rs = –.65, p = .004), but not with gait measures. We also assessed the contribution of age, education, and cognitive status (Shipley Institute of Living Scale) to these variables. We conclude that CS and age both play an important role in determining gait in PD, while reading speed is related to both acuity and CS, but not age.

Preferential semantic fluency impairment is related to hallucinations, but not formal thought disorder

Semantic memory dysfunction in schizophrenia spectrum disorders has been theoretically linked primarily to formal thought disorder (FTD) and, to a lesser extent, hallucinations. Although past studies have demonstrated associations between FTD and semantic memory dysfunction, the potential influence of hallucinations and other symptoms on this association has not previously been evaluated. We investigated the relationship between semantic dysfunction and levels of schizophrenic symptoms in 75 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Symptoms were rated on a 0–5 scale using the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms/Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Semantic dysfunction was quantified through a semantic/phonological fluency difference score. The vocabulary test from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale was included as a measure of pre-morbid IQ. We hypothesized a relationship between FTD and semantic dysfunction, with an alternative hypothesis being that semantic dysfunction would be related to hallucinations. The measure of semantic dysfunction was significantly correlated with level of hallucinations ( r = − .35, p = .002), but not level of FTD ( r = .05, p = .67). The relationship between hallucinations and semantic dysfunction remained significant after control for age and verbal intellectual ability, and after controlling for the influence of other symptoms. This finding supports theories linking a breakdown in semantic associative networks to the production of hallucinations, and suggests that past associations between formal thought disorder and semantic dysfunction may have been at least partly driven by differential levels of hallucinations between groups.

Neuropsychological Effects of Formaldehyde Use

This study compared five individuals who intentionally ingested formaldehyde (possibly laced with PCP) in marijuana cigarettes to a control group on measures of cognitive ability. Formaldehyde, a major component in embalming fluid, is legal to purchase and possess and has become popular due to its euphoric properties. In significant doses, the chemical is a neurotoxin. The effects of inadvertent exposure are fairly well known, but the effects of intentional ingestion have only recently been investigated. In addition, there has been little research on the effects of formaldehyde use specific to intellectual ability and cognitive intactness. The results of this study indicate intentional ingestion may cause a decline in neuropsychological intactness, as measured by performance on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale.

Neuropsychological Changes in a Large Sample of Liver Transplant Candidates

One-hundred forty-eight pre-liver transplant candidates completed a psychological interview and brief neuropsychological testing. Assessment measures included the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Trail Making Test Parts A and B (TMT-A and TMT-B), and the Folstein Mini Mental State Exam. Participants in our sample scored in the Below Average range of functioning (mean score = 100; SD = 10) on measures of memory (mean = 89.51, SD = 17.43), attention (mean = 87.62, SD = 17.23), and spatial perception (mean = 88.69, SD = 20.39). Scores reflected moderate to severe impairment in organization and processing speed (TMT-B completion time in seconds: mean = 137.22, SD = 88.64). Controlling for the effects of prior education, MELD scores were strongly correlated with poorer performance on immediate and delayed memory subtests (both P < .01), as well as with diminished attentional capacity ( P = .03). MELD scores also were significantly related to slower completion times on the TMT-A and TMT-B (both P < .05). Furthermore, independent sample t tests indicated that patients with higher MELD scores (>10) experienced significantly greater difficulty with executive functioning ( P < .05) and delayed memory ( P < .05) than those with lower MELD scores. Thorough evaluations of cognitive functioning are needed pretransplant to identify and treat cases of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy before daily functioning becomes significantly impaired.

Efficacy of the Team Solutions Program for Educating Patients About Illness Management and Treatment

Despite the demonstrated efficacy of psychosocial approaches to schizophrenia treatment that include a psychoeducational component, such as illness management, the implementation of these approaches into routine mental health treatment has been slow. The authors sought to examine the efficacy of a comprehensive, modularized, psychoeducational program called Team Solutions, which was designed to educate patients with major mental illnesses about their illness and how to manage it. Team Solutions was chosen for study because it is available over the Internet and other venues at no cost and is used by mental health agencies across the United States and Canada. Seventy-one persons with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from three day treatment settings participated in this randomized, single-blind study. Participants were randomly assigned to attend one of two interventions: the Team Solutions intervention, which consisted of participating in a 24-week psychoeducational group focused on illness management, or treatment as usual. For participants who attended the experimental group, significant improvement was observed in knowledge about schizophrenia. In addition, client satisfaction was high. However, no changes were observed in symptoms or functioning. Results indicated that participation in the Team Solutions psychoeducational group improved participants' knowledge. However, participation in the program did not demonstrate superiority over treatment as usual with respect to secondary and tertiary outcomes, such as symptom severity, treatment adherence, and global functioning.

Alcohol attentional bias: drinking salience or cognitive impairment?

This study evaluated whether alcohol attentional bias is an artifact of excessive drinkers' impaired cognitive functioning, which adversely affects their performance on the classic Stroop test (a measure of inhibitory control) and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS; a measure of verbal and abstraction ability). Both tests measure aspects of executive cognitive functioning (ECF). Social drinkers (N=87) and alcohol-dependent drinkers (N=47) completed a measure of alcohol consumption, classic and alcohol-related Stroop tests, and the SILS. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that the dependent drinkers were poorer on the cognitive measures (SILS scores and classic Stroop interference) and had greater alcohol attentional bias than the social drinkers. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in which the cognitive measures were controlled showed that the dependent drinkers' greater alcohol attentional bias was not an artifact of their poorer cognitive performance. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive-motivational models, which suggest that excessive drinking sensitizes alcohol abusers' attentional responsiveness to alcohol-related stimuli to a degree that exceeds the adverse effects of alcohol on their general cognitive functioning.

Cognitive Ability as a Factor in Engagement in Drug Abuse Treatment

This study examined correlates of high (HCA) and low (LCA) cognitive ability among substance dependent individuals who participated in an ongoing study of early engagement strategies. Participants (55% male; 98% African American), were administered the ASI, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Beck Hopelessness scale, and TCU Motivation Scales at intake. Analyses were limited to 416 participants whose IQs fell within the upper and lower thirds of the sample. HCA participants reported more prior treatment episodes and longer durations of voluntary abstinence than LCA participants. There were no differences in retention, although HCA participants expressed significantly greater motivation and hopefulness at intake than LCA participants. Results indicate that clients with higher cognitive ability may present with a greater capacity to engage in treatment than individuals with lower cognitive ability.

Speed of processing and individual differences in IQ in schizophrenia: General or specific cognitive deficits?

Introduction. The aim of this study was to re‐examine the role of cognitive processing speed in the vulnerability to schizophrenia, using an inspection time (IT) task that does not require a speeded manual response. Since IT consistently correlates with intelligence, the relationship between IT and general intelligence was also explored. Correspondence should be addressed to Dr J. C. Badcock, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Private Mail Bag No 1, Claremont, Western Australia 6010; e‐mail: jobad@cyllene.uwa.edu.au. The research was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council and infrastructure funding from the Department of Health of Western Australia (CPP Grant 9937102 NHMRC, HP Grant 960579 NHMRC). We would, first and foremost, like to thank the patients, community volunteers, and their families who participated in this research. The assistance of nursing and medical staff at Graylands Hospital and related clinics, and their continuing support of our research, are gratefully acknowledged. Methods. Patients with schizophrenia were compared with unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls on a visual IT task. Both speed and variability of IT performance were examined. Current intellectual ability (IQ) was estimated with the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS), which yields separate assessments of verbal and abstraction abilities. Results. Schizophrenia patients produced ITs that were significantly slower and more variable than either unaffected siblings or healthy controls. These results are not related to demographic or clinical variables. A significant negative correlation was obtained between IT and IQ; specifically, longer IT values were associated with abstraction scores only. Conclusions. These findings confirm that basic cognitive processing efficiency is impaired in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, ITs in unaffected siblings did not differ from healthy controls, in line with their better IQ test scores. Implica tions for models of general and specific heritable dimensions in schizophrenia are discussed.

The Recognition Memory Test Examination of ethnic differences and norm validity

The possibility of racial bias in neuropsychological test materials has received increasing attention in recent years. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether an own-race recognition bias would provide an advantage for Caucasian participants over African American participants on the Faces subtest of the Recognition Memory Test (RMT). Thirty Caucasian and 30 African American undergraduates completed the RMT, Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). No significant group difference was found on RMT Faces. However, mean RMT Faces scores for both groups were below the 10th percentile in spite of average scores on the SDMT and SILS. A second study was conducted to further examine the validity of the RMT norms for this age range (i.e., 18–24) and to provide 2-week test–retest reliabilities. The mean RMT Faces subtest score was 39.78 (10th percentile), and 28% of the sample scored at or below the fifth percentile. Test–retest reliabilities were .63 and .64 for RMT Words and Faces, respectively. Results of these studies suggest that re-examination of the current norms for RMT Faces is warranted for adults aged.

The Recognition Memory Test Examination of ethnic differences and norm validity

The possibility of racial bias in neuropsychological test materials has received increasing attention in recent years. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether an own-race recognition bias would provide an advantage for Caucasian participants over African American participants on the Faces subtest of the Recognition Memory Test (RMT). Thirty Caucasian and 30 African American undergraduates completed the RMT, Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). No significant group difference was found on RMT Faces. However, mean RMT Faces scores for both groups were below the 10th percentile in spite of average scores on the SDMT and SILS. A second study was conducted to further examine the validity of the RMT norms for this age range (i.e., 18–24) and to provide 2-week test–retest reliabilities. The mean RMT Faces subtest score was 39.78 (10th percentile), and 28% of the sample scored at or below the fifth percentile. Test–retest reliabilities were .63 and .64 for RMT Words and Faces, respectively. Results of these studies suggest that re-examination of the current norms for RMT Faces is warranted for adults aged.

Relationship of cognitive ability to the developmental course of antisocial behavior in substance-dependent patients

1. The present study examined cognitive differences among three groups of abstinent substance-dependent patients and a control group of non-drug users. The patient groups were defined according to their DSM III-R substance dependence diagnosis(es): heroin, cocaine, or dual alcohol and cocaine dependence. 2. In the initial analysis, which compared the four subject groups on scores from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, no significant differences were found. However, the groups did vary on the number of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) behaviors. 3. Another set of analyses was conducted to examine the relationship between ASPD and SILS scores. Analyses of the effects of ASPD (+/−) across all of the patients revealed lower SILS scores in the ASPD-positive group. Additional analyses examined the developmental course of the ASPD effect by contrasting 1) patient groups characterized by childhood Conduct Disorder (CD) combined with adult ASPD vs. 2) childhood CD which did not continue into adulthood as ASPD vs. 3) adults who did not report childhood CD but who met other ASPD behavioral criteria as adults, vs. 4) subjects who had neither childhood CD nor adult ASPD. 4. In this analysis, it was found that patients who met diagnostic criteria for childhood Conduct Disorder, but whose antisocial behaviors resolved after age 15, had equivalent SILS scores to those patients with no childhood CD or adult ASPD. A decrement in SILS scores was only found in those patients whose antisocial behaviors persisted into adulthood. 5. ASPD adults who did not report childhood CD behaviors had normal SILS scores compared to Controls.

Validity of two brief measures: the General Abilities Measure for Adults and the Shiple Institute of Living Scale.

The present investigation examined the concurrent validity of the General Ability Measure for Adults by Naglieri and Bardos (1997) and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale by Zachary (1991). These scales were administered to 129 college students who ranged in age from 18 to 55 years (M age=24.8 yr.). Pearson correlations were computed to evaluate the association of scores on these measures. Significant small correlations were found for GAMA IQ scores with scores on the Shipley Verbal (r = .29) and Total scales (r = .28) but not with scores on the Shipley Abstraction subscale (r=.11). Although the GAMA has been presented as a measure of general intelligence, only partial support for this view was found.

Altered Emotional Perception in Alcoholics: Deficits in Affective Prosody Comprehension

Affective prosody is a nonlinguistic aspect of language that conveys emotion and attitude during discourse. It is a dominant function of the right hemisphere. Because skills associated with the right hemisphere have been found to be impaired in alcoholics, this study explored the possibility that affective prosodic functioning may be sensitive to the effects of alcohol due to heavy persistent drinking or prenatal exposure. Subjects were aged 25 to 58 years. Twenty-nine men and three women who met DSM-IV criteria for an alcohol use disorder with a median of 39 days of sobriety, 11 men with a probable history of fetal alcohol exposure (FAexp), and 41 age-matched control subjects of both sexes were tested by using the Aprosodia Battery. This instrument assesses affective prosodic comprehension (APC) across a range of verbal articulatory demands. The alcoholic group scored 2 SD below the control mean, and the FAexp group scored -5 SD regardless of whether they had ever been diagnosed with alcohol abuse. Despite their poor performance on APC, alcoholic and FAexp groups performed similarly to the control group on vocabulary, abstract reasoning, and an index of cognitive impairment that used the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Multiple regression analyses that used nine alcohol use variables to model APC resulted in four significant contributors to the effect. These regressors were related to early exposure to ethanol and chronicity of alcohol abuse. Alcoholics and FAexp subjects were significantly less accurate at APC compared with controls. These alcohol-exposed subjects appear to be deficient in the ability to understand emotional valence in the speech of others, which results in errors of judgment that may impair social interactions.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING IN SUBSTANCE-DEPENDENT PATIENTS

The present study examined neurocognitive functioning in groups of individuals addicted to various psychoactive substances. One hundred ten patients admitted to treatment for substance misuse were assessed using a semistructured clinical interview, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Symptom CheckList-90, the Trail Making A and B tests, and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Results revealed that at intake, alcohol- and benzodiazepine-addicted clients exhibited higher levels of cognitive impairment and psychological distress than patients dependent on other drugs. Regression analysis showed that the Shipley vocabulary raw score was a significant predictor of length of stay in treatment.