Clinical Utility of Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and Predicted IQ Discrepancies in Closed Head Injury

Comparisons between Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) indexes and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) IQ scores have been proposed to identify severity of memory deficits. However, many neurologic conditions reduce both intellectual and memory functioning, and thus, examining differences between these scores may be of little value. Closed head injured subjects who completed the WMS-R were divided into either mild injury (MI, n = 41) or moderate/severe (SI, n = 41) injury groups based on trauma severity indicators and were matched on age and level of education. The Oklahoma Premorbid Intelligence Estimation (OPIE), a regression formula that takes into account demographic variables as well as IQ performance, was calculated for each subject. Discrepancy scores were calculated between predicted IQ scores and WAIS-R IQ and WMS-R indexes. SI head-injured subjects displayed significantly larger discrepancies (19 points) between OPIE scores and Delayed Recall Indexes from the WMS-R than the MI subjects (10 points). Significantly larger percentages of subjects in the SI group displayed significant (>SD) reductions in many of the WMS-R and WAIS-R scores from estimates than subjects in the MI group. Comparing current memory functioning to estimates of premorbid intellectual ability appears to be a sensitive indicator of presence and degree of intellectual and memory dysfunction in head trauma patients. Results also provide evidence that estimates of premorbid intellectual ability can serve as estimates of premorbid memory functioning. © 1997 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd