Measuring the executive functions in schizophrenia: The voluntary allocation of effort

Beilen, Marije van; Zomeren, Ed H. van; Bosch, Robert J. van den; Withaar, F.K.; Bouma, Anke

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.02.001

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In spite of being proposed as a sensitive test for memory malingering, the WMT has the same problem if only the easy subtests are considered. This issue of specificity (Merten et al, 2007) has also been raised when the WMT is applied to subjects with psychiatric illness (Gorissen et al, 2005;Morel, 2007;Sullivan, May, & Galbally, 2007;van Beilen et al, 2005) and to patients with severe memory impairment (Merten et al, 2007). The rationale behind Green's original criteria for ''poor effort'' is that IR and DR are tasks which are so easy that most people with cognitive impairment could perform above 82.5%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This means that a ''poor effort'' result can be either a consequence of a motivation deficit or of a voluntary intention to present low neurocognitive performance (Donders & Boonstra, 2007;Merten, Bossink, & Schmand, 2007;van Beilen, van Zomeren, van den Bosch, Withaar, & Bouma, 2005). In older subjects, or in people with psychiatric comorbidity as in depression or schizophrenia (Gorissen, Sanz, & Schmand, 2005;van Beilen et al), ''poor effort'' can be explained due to motivation impairment related to the underlying condition and not necessarily by ''memory malingering.'' Because of these pitfalls, it becomes essential to understand how we can use these new tools in clinical practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Memory Malingering: Evaluating WMT Criteria

Martins¹,

Martins²

2010

Applied Neuropsychology

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The Word Memory Test (WMT) has been considered one of the best assessment tools for assessing memory malingering in spite of some reported false-positive results. Our goal was to examine the sensitivity and specificity of Green's 2003 criteria for memory malingering using a Portuguese adaptation of the WMT. We applied the WMT to three groups of participants, including 20 healthy subjects asked to simulate memory impairment, 29 healthy adults asked to produce their best performance, and 21 patients with the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Using Green's 2003 criteria, based on scores below cutoffs on the easy subtests, 67% of the MCI patients were classified as "poor effort." However, the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis could be raised to 95% using an alternative set of criteria, relying on comparisons between easy and hard subtest scores. We conclude that Green's original criteria based on easy subtest scores alone seem to be of low specificity for the diagnosis of memory impairment simulation, but the WMT is a good instrument for identifying simulation if the alternative criteria are applied.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memory Malingering: Evaluating WMT Criteria

Martins¹,

Martins²

2010

Applied Neuropsychology

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“…Participants were scored on the quality of their plan, their initiative in asking questions during the task, and their approach to the tasks (i.e., amount of time that they spent multitasking during the test). Although people with schizophrenia generated a task plan as often as controls, their plans tended to be inefficient (e.g., demonstrated less multitasking; van Beilen et al, 2005). People with schizophrenia also demonstrated less multitasking than controls during actual task execution.…”

Section: Planning In Everyday Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People with schizophrenia also have demonstrated inefficient planning on more complex planning tasks, such as the Six Elements Test (SET; Shallice & Burgess, 1991) and related variants (Modified SET, MSET; Wilson et al, 1996;Cognitive Effort Test, CET;van Beilen, van Zomeren, van den Bosch, Withaar, & Bouma, 2005). On the SET/MSET, participants are instructed to work on three different types of tasks for a specified amount of time (e.g., 10 minutes), while adhering to several rules.…”

Section: Planning In Everyday Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Everyday action planning in schizophrenia

Seter¹,

Giovannetti²,

Kessler³

et al. 2011

Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

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Planning of everyday tasks was examined in 48 inpatients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls. Participants were administered the Naturalistic Action Test, which requires completion of three everyday tasks (e.g., make toast and coffee). Planning variables, including planning behaviours (e.g., gathering items before engaging in a subtask) and planning time (e.g., period between task instructions and first action) were coded to evaluate forward thinking in these tasks. Results showed that planning variables were reliably coded. Controls demonstrated more planning behaviours than participants with schizophrenia; however, this difference was accounted for by education. People with schizophrenia spent significantly less time planning when planning time was analysed as a proportion of the total time on tasks. Planning variables were related to the ability to accomplish everyday task steps and to perform everyday task steps accurately. Together these findings suggest that rehabilitation strategies that emphasise both planning time and planning behaviours may facilitate everyday functioning in people with schizophrenia.

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“…Recent studies have revealed the role of mental effort on cognition in schizophrenia. 22,23 Schmand et al 24 suggested that a motivational deficit underlies the association between negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in these patients. Although motivation might be crucial in cognitive and social functioning, its role has been understudied in schizophrenia, and warrants more systematic investigation.…”

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confidence: 99%

Depression, Avolition, and Attention Disorders in Patients with Schizophrenia: Associations with Verbal Memory Efficiency

Brébion¹,

Bressan²,

Pilowsky³

et al. 2009

JNP

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The authors undertook a study of the clinical correlates of verbal memory deficits in schizophrenia. The first purpose was to replicate the finding of a significant association between depression and impairment in the deep encoding memory processes. The second purpose was to test the hypothesis that certain clinical symptoms--avolition, disorders of attention--also play a role in verbal memory impairment, distinct from a global negative symptomatology score. Forty-one patients with schizophrenia underwent a memory task including forward digit span and learning lists of words with different levels of semantic organization. Regression analyses revealed that the depression score was associated with the total number of recalled words, whereas the global negative symptom score was not. Depression score was not associated with the forward digit span, a measure of superficial serial encoding processes. An analysis of individual symptoms from the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) indicated that avolition was associated with several memory scores, suggesting a pervasive effect of this symptom. Attention disorders were associated with impaired efficiency in serial learning, but not with word recall efficiency. It is suggested that more consideration should be given to depression and motivation in the investigation of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, as well as in cognitive remediation strategies.

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Measuring the executive functions in schizophrenia: The voluntary allocation of effort

Cited by 25 publications

References 19 publications

Memory Malingering: Evaluating WMT Criteria

Memory Malingering: Evaluating WMT Criteria

Everyday action planning in schizophrenia

Depression, Avolition, and Attention Disorders in Patients with Schizophrenia: Associations with Verbal Memory Efficiency

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