Dementia: A correlational study on the severity of dementia and visuospatial examinations in the WAIS-R
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Authors
Fuqua, Mackenzie G.
Issue Date
2012
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
Dementia affects over 54 million Americans each year. and those affected can
only obtain a confirmed diagnosis post-mortem (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). It
is important to be able to use psychometric tests to attempt an accurate diagnosis
during life for those affected, thus tests such as the WAIS-R (Weschler, 1987) are
necessary in assessing the life needs of dementia afflicted subjects. An aspect of the
neuropegeneration that defines dementia is the decline in spatial awareness, or
visuospatial intelligence (i.e. driving to the store and back, doing a puzzle, deductive
visual reasoning). The WAIS-R was administered to 60 subjects, 9 being controls, 21
obtaining a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 30 obtaining a
diagnosis of dementia (undifferentiated) and data pertaining to visuospatial
memory from each of the subjects was obtained and analyzed using a correlational
statistic. The data indicated there was a relationship between the severity of
dementia and the farther the decline of visuospatial memory. It was especially
significant between subjects in the MCI group and the demented group suggesting
that visuospatial memory is affected later in the course of dementia.
Description
v, 50 p.
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