Neuropsychological information in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised.

ABSTRACT

The relationships among Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised profiles (WAIS-R), Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) profiles and Halstead Retian Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB) profiles were examined in two samples of patients referred for neuropsychological evaluation. Canonical correlation analysis suggested that the average level of WAIS-R profiles was related to the average level and scatter of LNNB profiles, Overall performance on the HRNB was less strongly related to overall performance on the WAIS-R than was the LNNB. Patients who were similar to a WAIS-R modal profile characterized by relative deficits on performance subtests were more likely to be similar to LNNB modal profiles characterized by relative impairments on sensorimotor subtests. Patients who were similar to a WAIS-R modal profile characterized by relative deficits on verbal subtests were more likely to be similar to LNNB modal profiles characterized by relative impairments on either language subtests or conceptual subtests. Patients classified into an HRNB profile type characterized by strengths on the Aphasia Screening subtest were more likely to show strengths on WAIS-R verbal subtests. However, less than 8 % of the total samples could be jointly classified into both the requisite WAIS-R profile clusters and one of the associated LNNB or HRNB profile clusters. WAIS-R subtest profile level may be a useful statistic to screen for neuropsychological deficits, but WAIS-R patterns are essentially useless for neuropsychological screening. Discussion focuses on the role of the WAIS-R in neuropsychological evaluations.