ABSTRACT
In 1974, a 10-month diagnostic evaluation of 80 newly admitted psychogeriatric patients was undertaken. The diagnostic categories were functional versus organic brain disease. The present report deals with results of a follow-up evaluation three years later. To assess the prognostic validity of our measures, the initial 1974 data on survivor and nonsurvivor groups were studied, and some of the tests were repeated in 35 of the 40 survivors. Statistically significant differences between survivors and nonsurvivors were found in both "organic" and "functional" groups, with respect to performance on psychologic and psychophysiologic tests, and the level of social functioning before admission. The death rate was significantly higher in the group with organic disease.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/psychology , Aged , Conditioning, Operant , Electroencephalography , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Mortality , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Psychological Tests , Psychophysiology , Social BehaviorABSTRACT
The interdisciplinary aspects of the psychogeriatric assessments described in three previous papers are discussed on the basis of factor-analysis findings and their significance in diagnosis, treatment, planning and theory. The difference between basic biopsychologic dysfunctions (including pathohistologic changes and various counter-regulations) and psychosocial dysfunctions (lifestyle) becomes clear statistically as well as clinically. This difference probably is fundamental, in the sense that intact biopsychologic functions are elementary tools for the psychosocial functions.
Subject(s)
Dementia/diagnosis , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Aged , Female , Humans , Intelligence Tests , Interprofessional Relations , Male , Methods , Neurocognitive Disorders/diagnosis , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Psychological Tests , Reaction Time , Social BehaviorABSTRACT
Variables stemming from standard psychologic tests, psychophysiologic tests, and operant conditioning procedures were employed in assessing the status of 80 psychogeriatric patients with either organic brain syndromes or functional psychoses. Differences were observed in the responses between the two groups. In general, the performance of the patients with organic brain syndromes was more deviant than that of the patients with functional psychoses, and the performance of the hospitalized geriatric patients (regardless of diagnosis) was worse than that of the normal control groups.
