The Survey for Memory, Attention, and Reaction Time (SMART): Development and Validation of a Brief Web-Based Measure of Cognition for Older Adults.

Introduction: Brief, Web-based, and self-administered cognitive assessments hold promise for early detection of cognitive decline in individuals at risk for dementia. The current study describes the design, implementation, and convergent validity of a fWeb-based cognitive assessment tool, the Survey for Memory, Attention, and Reaction Time (SMART), for older adults.

Methods: A community-dwelling sample of older adults (n = 69) was included, classified as cognitively intact (n = 44) or diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 25).

Subtle Changes in Medication-taking Are Associated With Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Introduction: Medication-taking is a routine instrumental activity of daily living affected by mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but difficult to measure with clinical tools. This prospective longitudinal study examined in-home medication-taking and transition from normative aging to MCI.

Methods: Daily, weekly, and monthly medication-taking metrics derived from an instrumented pillbox were examined in 64 healthy cognitively intact older adults (Mage=85.

Mental Health Diagnoses in Veterans Referred for Outpatient Geriatric Psychiatric Care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Introduction: Nearly half of the U.S. veterans are over 65 years of age.

Blast concussion and posttraumatic stress as predictors of postcombat neuropsychological functioning in OEF/OIF/OND veterans.

Objectives: Many combat veterans exhibit cognitive limitations of uncertain origin. In this study, we examined factors that predict cognitive functioning by considering effects of blast-related concussion (BRC), non-blast-related concussion (NBRC), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Analyses specifically tested whether (a) BRC and NBRC were distinct in their prediction of cognitive performance; (b) a dose-response relationship existed between recurrent concussion (BRC and NBRC) and cognitive impairment; and (c) PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between BRC and cognitive performance.

Steeper aging-related declines in cognitive control processes among adults with bipolar disorders.

Background: Little is known about the specificity of executive functioning (EF) decline in older adults with bipolar disorders (OABD), or the impact of bipolar disorders (BD) on the timing and slope of age-related declines in EF processes implicated in both BD etiology and normative aging-cognitive control (CC). This cross-sectional study investigated age-related CC decline in BD.

Methods: Participants were 43 adults with BD (M age = 61.

Cognitive-behavioral group treatment for driving-related anger, aggression, and risky driving in combat veterans: a pilot study.

The present study examined the preliminary effects of an 8-session group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) designed to reduce driving-related anger, aggression, and risky driving behaviors in veterans. Participants (N = 9) with self-reported aggressive and risky driving problems completed self-report measures at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Of those completing the treatment, 89% demonstrated reliable change in driving-related aggression and 67% evidenced reliable change in driving-related anger.

Neuropsychological outcomes of U.S. Veterans with report of remote blast-related concussion and current psychopathology.

This study explored whether remote blast-related MTBI and/or current Axis I psychopathology contribute to neuropsychological outcomes among OEF/OIF veterans with varied combat histories. OEF/OIF veterans underwent structured interviews to evaluate history of blast-related MTBI and psychopathology and were assigned to MTBI (n = 18), Axis I (n = 24), Co-morbid MTBI/Axis I (n = 34), or post-deployment control (n = 28) groups. A main effect for Axis I diagnosis on overall neuropsychological performance was identified (F(3,100) = 4.

Malingering intellectual disability: the value of available measures and methods.

Atkins v. Virginia (2002) is a case that has changed the landscape in relation to the assessment of malingering in a legal context. This landmark decision abolished the death penalty for defendants found to have intellectual disability (ID; formally known as mental retardation), but limitations in our assessment techniques lead to questions regarding the veracity of ID claims.

Susceptibility of current adaptive behavior measures to feigned deficits.

The current study examined the susceptibility of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-2nd edition (ABAS-II; Harrison & Oakland, 2003) and the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (S1B-R; Bruininks, Woodcock, Weatherman, & Hill, 1996) to the feigning of adaptive functioning deficits. Using four different instruction sets, the authors evaluated whether the provision of diagnostic information (a form of coaching) improved participants' ability to simulate adaptive deficits commensurate with a diagnosis of mental retardation. The authors found that the ABAS-II was quite vulnerable to believable manipulation by raters, while the SIB-R was not.

Effects of a community toxic release on the psychological status of children.

This study sought to determine the emotional effects of a major community toxic release on children in the exposed community while controlling for the potential effects of response bias. Controlling for the response bias inherent in litigated contexts is an advance over previous studies of toxic exposure in children. A randomly selected representative sample of Exposed children (n = 31) was compared to a matched Control group (n = 28) from a nearby, unexposed community.

Classification accuracy of the test of memory malingering in traumatic brain injury: results of a known-groups analysis.

This study used a known-groups design to determine the classification accuracy of the Test of Memory Malingering (Tombaugh, 1996, 1997) in detecting cognitive malingering in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forty-one of 161 TBI patients met Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction. Twenty-two no-incentive memory disorder patients were also included.

Detection of feigned tactile sensory loss using a forced-choice test of tactile discrimination and other measures of tactile sensation.

Objective: Intentional exaggeration of disability is a risk in work injuries but is hard to reliably detect clinically. This study examined the accuracy of tactile sensory threshold and forced-choice discrimination measures in detecting feigned sensory loss.

Methods: Participants (n = 80) were randomly assigned to one of four sensory loss groups: (1) none; (2) partial; (3) full; or (4) feigned.

Agreement between the abbreviated and standard portland digit recognition test.

This study sought to determine the classification agreement between the standard and abbreviated forms of the Portland Digit Recognition Test (PDRT), a well-established symptom validity test. PDRTs (N=200: 100 traumatic brain injury, 100 chronic pain) were randomly selected from case manager and attorney referrals for psychological assessment. Only three cases were misclassified and agreement was as high as 99.

Psychological evaluation of the emotional effects of a community toxic exposure.

Objective: We sought to assess the emotional effects of a major community toxic release while controlling the potential effects of response bias associated with litigation.

Methods: Participants included 152 exposed adult litigants and a matched unexposed comparison group (n = 76). Psychological assessment methods included: (1) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; (2) Symptom Checklist-90-Revised; and (3) Impact of Event Scale-Revised.