Faculty Bibliography

Research on sports concussion has contributed significantly to our knowledge on the characteristics and course of recovery from mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Findings from research studies on injured athletes indicate that most symptoms of concussion resolve within 7-10 days of the injury. Results from studies examining the development of more persistent symptoms have found relationships with a number of psychological factors, including expectation and maladaptive coping styles. Systematic reviews of intervention strategies have indicated that psychological approaches to treatment of MTBI, such as early education and support, are more effective than any form of drug treatment. Psychologists should be aware of these findings and the potential for playing a significant role in treating individuals with MTBI. (journal abstract)

The current study surveyed test-usage practices of clinical neuropsychologists to determine whether respondents varied their assessment batteries based on specific patient demographic characteristics. Respondents were 747 doctorate-level psychologists (40% usable response rate) affiliated with Division 40 of the American Psychological Association, National Academy of Neuropsychology, or the International Neuropsychological Society. Respondents read a vignette about a traumatic brain injury patient and subsequently reported the instruments they would utilize to assess this patient's memory, attention, executive functioning, and ability to return to work. There were three versions of the case study, which varied according to the patient's occupation and level of education. Results revealed that the reported proportion of only 9 of 516 instruments (1.7%) varied across classifications, indicating that some neuropsychologists slightly modified their test batteries based on patients' demographic characteristics. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to enhancing predictions of real-world outcomes based on neuropsychological test data

False-positive (FP) errors during recognition memory testing often interfere with interpretation of Wada test results. This study examined which clinical and neuropsychological variables provide the best prediction of these errors. Fifty-six patients completed the Wada test and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Subjects with three or more FP errors on the recognition trials of the CVLT were nearly twice as likely to exhibit FP responding during the Wada test. Further analysis indicates that FP errors during the Wada test appear to be the primary result of a stable and liberal response-bias rather than a result of any other neurological or procedure-related factor

In patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), the high rates of mental retardation are associated with cortical tubers, seizure activity, and genetic factors. The goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between bilateral cortical tubers and seizure variables and mental retardation in individuals with TSC. The records of 27 patients with TSC (age 6 months to 33 years) undergoing neuropsychological assessment and the following clinical variables were examined: bilateral versus non-bilateral cortical tubers, the age of seizure onset, and presence of infantile spasms. Results were statistically analyzed. Bilateral cortical tubers (p=0.02) and early age of seizure onset (p=0.04) were significantly related to impaired cognitive functioning. Only one of the seven patients with normal cognitive functioning had bilateral tubers, whereas 13/21 patients with intellectual impairment had bilateral tubers. Patients with normal cognitive functioning experienced a mean age of seizure onset after 6 years. A trend was observed between infantile spasms and cognitive functioning (p=0.06); the lack of statistical significance likely reflects the small sample size. Neither age nor gender was related to cognitive status. Further investigation incorporating additional neuroimaging factors, antiepileptic treatment effects, and genetic variables, is needed