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A short screening device for identification of cerebral dysfunction in children
Author(s) -
Reitan Ralph M.,
Herring Sheldon
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198509)41:5<643::aid-jclp2270410510>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - psychology , identification (biology) , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , biology , botany
Abstract Many psychologists have been interested in the development of a screening battery for cerebral dysfunction. The purpose of the present study was to identify a short screening battery, drawn from the Halstead‐Reitan Battery, that had a high degree of accuracy in differential identification of brain damaged and normal children. Fifty brain‐damaged children and 50 controls (age 9‐14 years) were identified and subdivided into two groups of 25 children in each category. The data based on the first pair of groups (25 brain‐damaged and 25 control children) were processed with a discriminant analysis with linear transformation of the results, and a weighted screening index was developed based on eight measures. This screening index had an accuracy rate of 92% in differentiating the brain‐damaged subjects from the controls. The screening index then was applied to the validational groups (25 brain‐damaged and 25 normal children), and an 86% accuracy rate was achieved. Computation of the screening index, which requires less than an hour of testing, is illustrated in this paper.