Wechsler Abbreviated Scale Of Intelligence , Second Edition Research Articles

Recall and recognition of similarities items in neuropsychological assessment: Memory, validity, and meaning

The current study examined whether the Memory Similarities Extended Test (M-SET), a memory test based on the Similarities subtest of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II), has value in neuropsychological testing. The relationship of M-SET measures of cued recall (CR) and recognition memory (REC) to brain injury severity and memory scores from the Wechsler Memory Scale, Fourth Edition (WMS-IV) was analyzed in examinees with traumatic brain injuries ranging from mild to severe. Examinees who passed standard validity tests were divided into groups with intracranial injury (CT + ve, n = 18) and without intracranial injury (CT-ve, n = 50). In CT + ve only, CR was significantly correlated with Logical Memory I (LMI: rs = .62) and Logical Memory II (LMII: rs = .65). In both groups, there were smaller correlations with delayed visual memory (VRII: rs = .38; rs = .44) and psychomotor speed (Coding: rs = .29; rs = .29). The REC score was neither an indicator of memory ability nor an internal indicator of performance validity. There were no differences in M-SET or WMS-IV scores for CT-ve and CT + ve, and reasons for this are discussed. It is concluded that M-SET has utility as an incidental cued recall measure.

Co-morbid psychiatric disorders in children with arachnoid cyst

Arachnoid Cysts (AC) are benign lesions containing cerebrospinal fluid, and although most of them are asymptomatic, they can cause neurological symptoms like headaches, seizures, and neuropsychiatric problems. The aim of this study was to asses and document co-morbid psychiatric disorders in children with AC aged between 6 and 17. Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition (WASI-II), a clinical measure used to assess the intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of the patients, Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL; semi-structured interview) was used to assess psychiatric disorders among the patients. A total of 12 patients with AC was evaluated with an even distribution of males and females. Half of the patients had a normal IQ score with a mean IQ score of 104.5. Among patients with normal IQ scores, one patient had epilepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and two patients had epilepsy without any psychiatric disorder. The remaining six patients had moderate intellectual disability with a mean IQ of 48.2. Among them, three out of six had epilepsy and four had accompanying psychiatric disorders. It is therefore apparent that patients with AC have a high rate of co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Our study demonstrates that intellectual disability and psychiatric disorders should be evaluated in children with AC in the clinical settings.

Age Effects on Subtest and Composite Scores of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition.

We evaluated age effects in the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition (WASI-II) standardization sample. This extends work completed using previous editions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales. Of the four subtests, Vocabulary (VC) and Similarities (SI) were most resistant to aging. VC showed minimal variation regardless of age; SI peaked at 30 to 54 years followed by a decline. Block Design (BD) and Matrix Reasoning (MR) showed substantial drops from the younger to older groups. BD peaked at 17 to 44 years and then declined; MR peaked at 20 to 29 years and then consistently deteriorated. The WASI-II Verbal Comprehension Index peak at 30 to 44 years was followed by a maximum drop at 85 to 90 years. The Perceptual Reasoning Index peaked at 20 to 29 years, with a marked decline by 65 to 69 years. The Full Scale IQ was average until age 65 years followed by a decline. Minor changes in points of peak performance and subsequent decline were seen as a function of Full Scale IQ level. Results were consistent with crystallized and fluid intelligence theory.

Visual orientation discrimination skills are tightly linked with specific aspects of human intelligence.

We investigate the notion that basic visual information is acting as a building block for more complex cognitive processes in humans. Specifically, we measured individual visual orientation discrimination thresholds to report significant correlations against the total standardised intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal-IQ and non-verbal IQ scores evaluated using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Second Edition (WASI-II) test battery comprising Verbal Reasoning, Block Design, Similarities and Matrix Reasoning subtests (N = 92). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that participants' performance in our visual discrimination task, could be explained only by individual scores in Verbal Reasoning which quantifies the ability to comprehend and describe words and Matrix Reasoning, which evaluates general visual processing skills including abstract and spatial perception. Our results demonstrate that low-level visual abilities and high-level cognitive processes are more tightly interwoven together than previously thought and this result could pave the way for further research on how cognition can be defined by basic sensory processes.

Examining the Relations Between Social Competence, Autistic Traits, Anxiety and Depression in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children.

The current study examined whether social competence and autistic traits are related to anxiety and depression in autistic and non-autistic children. Parents of 340 children aged 6 to 12years old, including 186 autistic and 154 non-autistic children completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) to assess their child's autistic traits, the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale (MSCS) to assess their child's social competence, and the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children 2 (BASC-2) to assess their child's internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and children were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) to assess their intellectual abilities. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relations between social competence, autistic traits, anxiety, and depression. Social competence was related to anxiety and depression symptoms in autistic children, but only depression symptoms in non-autistic children, above and beyond the effects of autistic traits, IQ and age. Autistic children were also reported to experience more severe anxiety and depression symptoms, and more autistic traits were related to higher levels of anxiety and depression in both groups. These findings suggest that social competence and internalizing symptoms are intricately connected in autistic children and need to be jointly considered in both assessment and intervention. The social implications are discussed with an emphasis on acceptance of diverse social styles as a viable avenue to reduce children's internalizing symptoms.

374 Identification of Psychosis Risk Biomarkers in 22q11DS for future translational studies

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: 22q.11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a genomic syndrome that elevates risk for psychosis >20-fold. We used a battery of cognitive and psychophysiological psychosis-risk biomarkers in 22q11DS patients and healthy subjects in order to identify biomarkers of psychosis in 22q11DS that could be used as translational targets in intervention studies. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We recruited 15 22q11DS individuals (Mean age=30, M/F=9/6) and 19 healthy controls (HCs; Mean age=34, M/F=5/14). Each individual completed the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second edition (WASI-II) Verbal IQ subtests, and the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST). To examine auditory EEG responses, each participant completed the 'Double-Deviant' target detection paradigm, which presents a pseudorandom sequence of frequent standard tones and infrequent deviant tones. Mismatch negativity (MMN) metrics were generated from this assessment. Welch's t-tests were completed for neurocognitive variables. One-Way ANOVAs were completed to examine EEG results, with sex entered as a separate factor and age entered as a covariate. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Significant group differences were found in 8 of the 9 neurocognitive measurements (FDR-adjusted p's< 0.02, average Cohen's d=1.62, average observed power= 0.91) indicating widespread cognitive deficits in 22q11DS subjects across multiple domains. The Double-Deviant MMN ERP response was significantly smaller in absolute magnitude in the 22q11DS group (FDR-adjusted p=0.048, Cohen’s d= -0.864, observed power= 0.58). The MMN ERPs for the frequency and duration deviants were not significantly different (FDR-adjusted p's> 0.33). No group by sex interactions were observed in any of the measures. Neurocognitive variables were associated with psychosis positive, negative, general, and disorganized symptom scales. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results identify potential psychosis-risk biomarkers in 22q11DS. If replicated, these biomarkers could provide important translational targets for future clinical trials for individuals with 22q11DS and other individuals at-risk for psychosis syndromes.

A comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive and psychological functioning in adults with early-treated phenylketonuria.

Relative to youth with early-treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU), much less is known regarding the cognitive profile of adults with ETPKU. The present study aimed to address this gap by providing a comprehensive assessment of neuropsychological functioning among adults with ETPKU. A sample of 40 adults with ETPKU (ages 18 - 36) and a demographically matched group of 32 healthy individuals without PKU participated. Participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including the NIH Toolbox, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition (WASI-II), Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3), select subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) as well as several self-report measures of cognitive and psychoemotional functioning. Scores from these tests were combined to create cognitive composites reflecting overall task performance in the areas of verbal ability, visuospatial skills, executive functioning, motor skills, and processing speed. No group differences were observed for full scale IQ or verbal ability. However, individuals with ETPKU demonstrated poorer performance on measures of executive functioning, processing speed, motor skills, and visuospatial skills as compared to the non-PKU group. Within the ETPKU group, recent blood phenylalanine levels (an indicator of metabolic control) were significantly correlated with performance across most cognitive domains and aspects of psychological functioning. Present findings suggest that the neuropsychological profile of adult ETPKU is characterized by circumscribed impairments in select cognitive domains. In addition, the results underscore the importance of maintaining metabolic control across the lifespan in individuals with ETPKU.

Cognitive reserve: Evaluating the relationship between WASI‐II Matrix Reasoning and tau accumulation using [18F]MK6240 in monolingual and bilingual individuals

AbstractBackgroundCognitive reserve (CR), a protective mechanism, allows for sustained cognitive functioning in older adults with greater experiential resources. Bilingualism, an indicator of greater cognitive reserve, has been found to preserve cognitive performance in older adults despite significant disease pathology. While the association with amyloid has been well acknowledged, the effect of tau is still under investigation. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the effect of bilingualism on individuals’ cognition and tau load.MethodThis study was conducted in 331 individuals (213 cognitively unimpaired (CU)) and 116 cognitively impaired (CI; 81 MCI and 35 AD) from the TRIAD cohort. 40% of the study participants were monolingual. Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence ‐ Second Edition (WASI‐II) was used to measure cognitive ability and reasoning in individuals. Accumulation of tau was assessed with [18F]MK6240 PET and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVRs) were calculated between 90 to 110 min post‐injection, using cerebellum grey matter as the reference region. A voxel‐based regression model evaluated the relationship between the WASI‐II score and the PET markers [18F]MK6240, correcting for age, sex, education, APOE, diagnosis and RFT was used to account for multiple comparisons.ResultOur data showed that bilingual individuals demonstrated significantly higher scores on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence ‐ Second Edition (WASI‐II) in comparison to monolingual individuals. A negative association between the cognitive score and tau accumulation was found in both monolingual and bilingual groupings. In the bilingual individuals, the associated regions were precuneus area, medial and lateral lobes. In the monolingual group, the associated regions were right frontal lobe, parietal lobe and cuneus areas.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that bilingual individuals are more resilient to the accumulation of tau; shown in higher scores in cognitive ability and reasoning despite having more regions affected than their monolingual counterparts.

Validity of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) as an Indicator of Neurological Disease/Injury: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Purpose Although the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition is commonly used by neuropsychologists in the assessment of intellectual functioning, there is a paucity of published literature examining its utility in detecting neurological disease/injury. This study constitutes an attempt to validate the four-subtest WASI-II (4-FSIQ) for use with patients with neurological disease/injury. Method Participants were 59 patients referred for outpatient neuropsychological evaluation. Thirty-two individuals with diagnoses of dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological disorders constituted the neurological group. A control group was comprised of 27 individuals with diagnoses of psychiatric disorders or age-related cognitive decline. Results The WASI-II subtest and composite scores of the neurological group were all significantly (ps < .0001) lower than those of the control sample, but pattern differences between the groups were absent. When premorbid IQs and WASI-II IQs were compared, neurological patients with neurological disease/injury displayed evidence of intellectual deterioration; whereas, control participants did not. Conclusions Findings suggest that the 4-WASI-II is sensitive to the biological condition of the brain and provide preliminary validation for its use in the neuropsychological assessment of a diagnostically heterogeneous sample of patients with neurological disorders.

Investigating the National Adult Reading Test (NART-2) and Wechsler Test of Adult Reading Test (WTAR) in predicting Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence – Second edition (WASI-II) scores in an Australian sample

ABSTRACT Objective: The NART-2 and WTAR are used to estimate premorbid intellectual functioning. There are concerns about their accuracy. Our aim was to develop models predicting WASI-II scores from the NART-2 and WTAR variables and evaluate their accuracy within an Australian sample. Method: The sample included 145 adults aged 18.91 to 70.64 years (M = 34.70, SD = 13.30), of which 78 were female. Analyses examined the reliability of the word reading tasks and estimated WASI-II sores with multiple linear regression. Comparison of estimated scores were made with actual WASI-II scores. Results: WASI-II scores were moderately related to word reading tasks (r = .33 to.51, p < .01) and weakly related to age, years of education, and occupation. Models were identified for the four WASI-II index scores (with R2 = .20 to .36) and their accuracy checked. 24%-48%, 61%-73% and 80%-88% were correctly estimated within five, 10 and 15 points, respectively. Conclusions: Models for predicting WASI-II scores from the NART-2 and WTAR and demographic variables had adequate strength and accuracy. However, they were likely to be limited to those with FSIQ>79. Further development of word reading tasks for the prediction of premorbid intellectual functioning in the contemporary Australian context is warranted. Key Points What is already known about this topic: (1) The estimation of premorbid intellectual functioning is important in cognitive assessment, for which tests such as the National Adult Reading Test (NART-2) and Wechsler Test of Adult Reading Test (WTAR) were developed. (2) Research has pointed to potential problems with using the ageing norms and predictive models of the NART-2 and WTAR and recent Australian research has presented new models for predicting current Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) scores. (3) No evaluation of the NART-2 or WTAR has examined the accuracy of these models in predicting the shorter Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence – Second Edition (WASI-II) scores in the Australian context. What this topic adds: (1) This study provides norms for the NART-2 and WTAR utilising Australian pronunciation rules, consistent with the Macquarie Dictionary. (2) Equations are presented for predicting WASI-II scores from NART-2 and WTAR scores and simple demographic variables, based on a healthy sample of Australian adults. (3) Evaluation of these predictive models shows they are likely to have adequate strength and accuracy, but were limited to predicting ability to within the low average range and above (FSIQ>79).

Remote Assessment of Pediatric Patients with Daytime Sleepiness and Healthy Controls: A Pilot Study of Feasibility and Reliability.

We assessed the reliability of cognitive testing for children and adolescents ages 8 to 19 years of age with narcolepsy or subjective daytime sleepiness compared to healthy controls. Forty-six participants took part in the study (n = 18 narcolepsy type 1, n = 6 subjective daytime sleepiness, and n = 22 healthy controls). Participants completed verbal (vocabulary testing) and non-verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) tasks (block design, matrix reasoning) from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence- Second Edition (WASI-II) in-person or remotely through a HIPAA compliant telehealth platform with conditions counterbalanced. We found that vocabulary T-scores showed good reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.85) between remote and in-person testing conditions. Matrix Reasoning T-scores showed moderate reliability (ICC 0.69, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.90) and Block Design T-scores was poor between testing conditions. Overall, the results of this pilot study support the feasibility and reliability of verbal and non-verbal IQ scores collected by telehealth.

Investigating the Test of Premorbid Functioning (TOPF) in predicting Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence – Second edition (WASI-II) scores in an Australian sample

ABSTRACT Accurate prediction of premorbid functioning is important in neuropsychological assessment. We aimed to investigate the predictive accuracy of the TOPF and examine this word list at an item level against WASI-II scores, using Australian pronunciations. The sample of 219 healthy Australians were aged 18–82 years. Multiple regression analyses were used to replicate the TOPF and simple demographic models based on the US TOPF standardization. Rasch analyses provided a comparison of Australian, US and UK word order from the proportion of words pronounced correctly. The variance explained in WASI-II index scores ranged from R2=.12 (PRI) to .33 (FSIQ-2), which was approximately half that reported in the US standardization study. The accuracy of predicted WASI-II scores was also slightly less in our sample. Thirty-two words were out of place by five places or more compared with the US word order and 30 compared with the UK. These results add to concerns about the application the TOPF with norms developed in the US and UK in the Australian context. Clinicians are advised not to apply the five error discontinue rule when using the TOPF in the local context. Development of a more accurate word reading task for use in Australia is warranted.

The validity of the test of memory malingering (TOMM) with deaf individuals

Objective Administration of performance validity tests (PVT) during neuropsychological assessments is standard practice, with the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) being a commonly used measure. The TOMM has been well validated in hearing populations with various medical and psychiatric backgrounds. A major gap in the literature is the use of the TOMM amongst culturally Deaf individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their first and preferred language. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the TOMM with this population to determine if there may be differences related to the use of semantic knowledge and recall using signs rather than spoken phonemes. Method This study recruited 30 culturally Deaf, community-dwelling adults, who self-reported that they were not involved in litigation ordisability claims. In addition to the TOMM, participants were screened for cognitive ability using non-verbal components of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) and the Mini Mental State Examination: ASL Version (MMSE:ASL). Results Nonverbal intelligence for this sample was within the average range of ability. No participants scored lower than the standard cut-off score for Trial 2 or the Retention Trial on the TOMM (≤44 raw score to indicate invalid responding). Trial 1 performances ranged from 44 to 50, Trial 2 performances ranged from 49 to 50, and Retention performances ranged from 49 to 50. Conclusion These results support the use of the same standard cut-off scores established for hearing individuals in culturally Deaf individuals who use ASL.

Increased Cerebral Metabolic Stress Is Associated with Diminished Functional Connectivity in Pediatric Sickle Cell Anemia

Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) experience increased metabolic stress in the brain, measured by oxygen extraction fraction (OEF); regions with the highest OEF co-localize with regions at greatest risk for stroke. Yet, SCA affects cognition independent of stroke. We aim to investigate the relationship between metabolic stress and the cognitive effects of SCA. Neurocognitive abilities emerge from functional networks ascertained using unctional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI), potentially allowing functional connectivity (fc) to be used as a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in SCA. We prospectively obtained cognitive testing and brain MRIs in children with SCA (unaffected by overt stroke or vasculopathy, not chronically transfused and without history of transplant) and controls in a single center to test our hypothesis that children with SCA experiencing the greatest metabolic stress will have the greatest disruption in fc. Brain MRI measured OEF (asymmetric spin echo) and fc (resting state BOLD), and the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB) and Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Second Edition (WASI-II) assessed cognition. OEF processing is described in Fields et al. Blood. 2019; 133(22):2436-2444. Temporal correlation of the BOLD signal between 264 gray matter (GM) regions was calculated and assembled into region x region matrices sorted by 13 pre-defined functional networks. Homotopy, a metric of global connectivity, was measured by correlating GM voxels in the right hemisphere with corresponding left voxels, and averaging across GM. Group comparisons were made with Mann-Whitney U or chi-squared tests. Object oriented data analysis (OODA), post-hoc block permutation testing (p-values corrected for false discovery rate (FDR)), and group comparison of average within network correlations compared fc between cohorts. Bivariate correlations were described with Pearson's r. Significance was specified as p-value &amp;lt; .05, and the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure controlled for a final FDR of 0.05 for group comparison excluding permutation testing. Table 1 describes the 55 participants. There was no difference in cognition between cohorts (Table 1). Homotopy was lower in SCA (0.336 [0.310-0.379]) compared to controls (0.381 [0.341-0.394], p = 0.023). Figure 1 illustrates cohort fc matrices. The intra-network regions demonstrate strong positive correlations and inter-network regions demonstrate lower correlations for each cohort, indicating functional network architecture is similar between cohorts. However, the magnitude of fc is reduced in SCA. Using OODA, there was a significant difference between matrices (p=.001), with SCD selectively affecting the magnitude of fc within specific networks: Salience (Sal), Fronto-Parietal (FP), Cingulo-Opercular (CO), Sensory-Motor (SM), Sensory-Motor Lateral (SM-Lat), and Auditory (Aud) networks when comparing within network Pearson's r between cohorts (Table 1), and the Sal (FDR-corrected p &amp;lt; .001) and SM-Lat (FDR-corrected p = .039) networks using block permutation testing. Whole brain (Wb) OEF correlated with homotopy (r = -.420, p = .002), and the average Pearson r within specific networks: Default Mode (r = -.481, p &amp;lt; .001), CO (r = -.537, p &amp;lt; .001), Sal (r = -.549, p &amp;lt; .001), FP (r = -.461, p &amp;lt; .001), SM (r = -.298, p = .029), SM-Lat (r = -.381, p = .004), Aud (r = -.437, p = .001), and Visual (r = -.344, p = .011) networks (Figure 2). Wb OEF did not correlate with the average Pearson r within the Cerebellar (p = .713), Subcortical (p = .974), Memory (p = .104), Dorsal Attention (p = .228), or Ventral Attention (p = .162) networks. We conclude that there are differences in rs-fcMRI in this cohort of children with SCA unaffected by overt stroke or vasculopathy when compared to controls even though cohort differences were not found with cognitive testing. Differences were found in higher level cortical association systems (Sal, FP and CO) that are associated with executive function, which is known to be affected by SCA. Knowing that there is regional variation in metabolic stress, as measured by OEF, within the brains of children with SCA, we found an association between OEF and fc in select networks. These data suggest that those experiencing the greatest metabolic stress have diminished connectivity within select fc networks, and that these imaging metrics may provide neuroimaging biomarkers for cognitive decline in SCA. Disclosures Fields: Proclara Biosciences: Equity Ownership. Mirro:Nous Imaging Inc: Employment. King:Incyte: Consultancy; WUGEN: Equity Ownership; Tioma Therapeutics (formerly Vasculox, Inc.):: Consultancy; RiverVest: Consultancy; Novimmune: Research Funding; Amphivena Therapeutics: Research Funding; Bioline: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Cell Works: Consultancy; Magenta Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Post-traumatic Headache After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Association With Neurocognitive Outcomes.

Post-traumatic headache is common after pediatric traumatic brain injury and affects thousands of children every year, but little is known about how headache affects recovery after traumatic brain injury in other symptom domains. We aimed to determine the association between headache and other common symptoms after pediatric traumatic brain injury and explore whether subjective complaints of headache are associated with objective deficits on specialized neurocognitive testing. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children ages 3-19 years following traumatic brain injury with a completed Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) questionnaire. Post-traumatic headache was defined by a score more than 2 on the SCAT question for headache and define headache groups for comparison. In our cohort, we analyzed data from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II). Headache was reported in 40 (33%) patients presenting for post-traumatic brain injury care among 121 pediatric traumatic brain injury patients and did not differ by injury severity. Median total SCAT symptom score in the headache group was 5-fold higher compared to patients without headache (median 45.5 vs 9; P < .001). Significantly lower-scaled scores in color naming, matrix reasoning, letter sequencing, and letter switching were also found in the headache group (all P ≤ .03). Our study shows that headache, as reported by patients on the SCAT, is associated with higher symptom scores in all other symptom domains, including sleep, mood, sensory, and cognitive. Headache was also associated with worse objective neurocognitive measures and may identify patients who could benefit from specialized follow-up care and management.

The utility of Matrix Reasoning as an embedded performance validity indicatory in youth athletes

ObjectiveThe present study assessed Matrix Reasoning (MR) as an embedded validity indicator (EVI) in youth athletes vulnerable to sport-related concussion, using performance on the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) to operationalize effort.BackgroundMatrices tasks have been examined as EVI for pediatric neropsychological assessment (NA; McKinsey, Prieler, &amp; Raven, 2003), and recent literature suggests a cutoff T-score of 43 for MR in the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) may demonstrate utility within youth athletes completing baseline NA.Design/Methods103 youth athletes (76% male, Mage = 12.14) completed a NA, including MR (cutoff T = 43) and TOMM (cut-offs = 45 and 49). Sensitivity and specificity for MR were calclated. Reciever operator characteristics (ROC) curve analysis determined whether MR performance accurately categorized participants' effort (represented by TOMM performance).ResultsMR (cut-off T = 43; Sussman et al., 2019) produced sensitivity of 9.09% and specificity of 91.36% in predicting TOMM Trial 1 performance (TOMM1; AUC = 0.449) and 0.00% and 91.18% in predicting TOMM Trial 2 (TOMM2; AUC = 0.074). As a TOMM2 cut-off of 49 offers greater sensitivity to inadequate effort, a further analysis showed MR yielded sensitivity of 0.00% and specificity of 91.00% (AUC = 0.330) in predicting TOMM2 performance with the more conservative cutoff.ConclusionsMR is an adequate EVI in predicting sufficient effort on TOMM, detecting true effortful performance; however, it was inadequate in detecting true non-effortful performance. A more stringent TOMMM cutoff did not improve sensitivity; thus, MR exhibited poor detection of inadequate effort. Overall, MR has utility as an EVI to support adequate effort in youth athlete populations but should not be used independently. This finding is clinically important because adequate effort at baseline is imperative in determining recovery from concussion.

M48 - DECONSTRUCTING THE NEUREXIN1 DELETION PHENOTYPE: A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL, NEUROCOGNITIVE AND NEUROIMAGING PERSPECTIVE

Background The Neurexin1 (NRXN1; 2p16.3) gene has been identified as a rare but significant genetic risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) schizophrenia, Intellectual Disability (ID) and bipolar disorder. NRXN1 encodes Neurexins, neuronal adhesion molecules on axon terminals, which bind postsynaptic Neuroligins (encoded by NLGN). The primary function of NRXN1 is to stabilise synapse formation and facilitate neuronal transmission. Common clinical features are associated with NRXN1 deletions but these have not been deconstructed using in-depth neuropsychological, neurocognitive and neuroimaging techniques. This project aims to deep phenotype individuals and characterise the clinicopathological features of NRXN1 deletions. Methods 21 participants with NRXN1 deletions and 21 age and gender matched controls were recruited. Semi-structured neuropsychological assessments (CAPA, PAS-ADD) were performed and questionnaires to probe for existing and/or sub-threshold psychiatric disorders or symptoms were collated. The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-second edition (WASI-II) and a comprehensive cognition battery (CANTAB; http://www.cambridgecognition.com/) was administered to all participants to assess neurocognitive functioning. High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) data (61 directions, b-value=1500 s/mm2) were acquired (n=17 per group) to evaluate neuroanatomical differences. Preprocessing was completed using ExploreDTI software (http://www.ExploreDTI.com). Data quality checks were performed and subject motion and eddy current induced geometric distortions were corrected for in one interpolation step to minimise blurring effects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were extracted and voxelwise statistical analysis of the FA data was carried out using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) in FSL ( https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl ). Results The groups did not differ in age (t(40)=-0.015, p=0.988) but there was a significant difference in IQ (t(40)=-6.3, p=0.00) thus IQ was included as a covariate in all statistical analyses. Neuropsychological assessments indicated that 6 individuals have met criteria for ASD, 3 for mild ID, 2 for ADHD, 1 for a psychotic disorder and 1 for a conduct disorder. Neurocognitive assessments indicate a trend towards executive dysfunction and aberrant social cognition in individuals with NRXN1 deletions characterised by greater number of errors on spatial working memory, spatial organisation and emotion recognition tasks, p Discussion Interesting clinical characteristics of NRXN1 deletions are emerging. This study indicates that NRXN1 deletions may contribute to neurocognitive deficits related to executive functioning and social cognition, two domains that are consistently described as aberrant in neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, individuals with NRXN1 deletions demonstrate a pattern of disrupted structural connectivity, which has also been described in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD and schizophrenia. Further clinical and neurobiological phenotyping in addition to mapping of the NRXN1 genotype may elucidate the underlying neurobiological processes contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Utility of matrix reasoning as an embedded performance validity indicator in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACTThe present study examined the utility of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) Matrix Reasoning (MR) subtest in detecting suspect effort among a pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) sample. The sample consisted of 526 clinically referred patients aged 8-16 years. Sixteen percent of participants failed the Medical Symptom Validity Test, which was used to categorize the sample into adequate and suspect effort groups. No background or injury-related variables differentiated the two groups. Comparisons between the adequate and suspect effort groups revealed significant differences in MR performance (p < .001; d = 1.46). A subsample (n = 206) where first item missed data were available was also analyzed; suspect effort participants missed their first item significantly earlier than adequate effort participants. In the entire sample, a MR cutoff T-score of 43 resulted in sensitivity of 57% and specificity of 90%. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve for MR T-score was .804. Within this relatively high-functioning pediatric population with mTBI, MR appeared to have good utility as an embedded validity indicator, with classification statistics comparable to many of the most commonly used embedded indices used with adults.

Correlation Between Cranial Capacity and Mental Ability among School Children in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Intelligence quotient (IQ) is widely used to assess different aspects of mental ability. Development in mental ability initiates from conception and continues through adulthood. Various environmental factors affect IQ. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between IQ and environmental characteristics on cranial capacity in children and adolescents in Malaysia. This cross sectional study was performed on primary and secondary school students in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. Students, who were aged between 6 to 16 years and did not have any mental or physical disabilities, participated in this study. Measurements including weight, height, body mass index and cephalometry were performed for each subject. The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-second edition (WASI-II) questionnaire was used for each subject to evaluate the subtests of IQ. A total of 419 subjects with the mean age of 12.51 ± 2.82 years had participated in this study. Boys were taller (p=0.04), had higher IQ (p=0.01) and cranial capacity (p<0.001) as well as block design score (p=0.02) when compared with girls. There was a significant mean effect for age (p=0.03), gender (p=0.04), paternal education (p=0.04), family income and block design (p=0.03) on cranial capacity. This study revealed different patterns of brain growth, function and IQ amongst male and female subjects as well as defining the environmental factors that can affect cranial capacity and that the IQ and cranial capacity may be improved by tuning up the lifestyles and economic conditions of the families in developing countries.

Review of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II)

Review of the <i>Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II)</i>