Neuropsychological symptoms in a cross-sectional sample of abstinent alcoholics.

This study examined the neuropsychological symptom reports of a cross-sectional sample of 205 abstinent alcoholics. Analysis indicated that early-abstinent alcoholics reported mild cognitive distress with a gradual course of observed recovery which eventually reached the normal range. The recovery process was essentially the same for both men and women. A nonsignificant increase in symptom reporting was found for subjects who were beyond the acute stage of detoxification, which is thought to reflect improved awareness of neuropsychological functioning. Symptoms of frustration were rated highest by alcoholics at all stages of abstinence.

Validity and reliability of the revised Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS).

The revised Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS) is a 95-item, self-reporting screening measure of neuropsychological symptoms. The present report examines the concurrent validity and test-retest stability of the NIS with a neurologically stable sample. The validation study found higher than chance correlations between the NIS and the validity battery and higher correlations with tests that are more sensitive to cognitive impairment. Results also suggest that patients may have more accurate awareness of certain areas of cognitive functioning (academic skills, speech/language functioning) than others (memory, attention, higher level problem-solving). High stability correlations over 2 to 3 months suggest that the NIS measures persisting characteristics rather than temporary states.

Long-term recovery in alcoholics.

A cross-sectional study of alcoholics who varied widely in duration of abstinence was combined with a four-year follow-up study of the same subjects. Together, the data demonstrated a course of recovery in abstinent alcoholics measured in three ways: severity of symptoms, probability of relapse, and work history. Additionally, the subjects showed high rates of smoking cessation. By every measure, the course of recovery seemed essentially the same in men and women. The recovery process was most rapid in the early years of abstinence but continued for 10 or more years. It was suggested that keys to full recovery in alcoholics are abstinence and time, which are necessary for recovery from a protracted withdrawal syndrome and brain dysfunction, for the repair of social relationships, for vocational rehabilitation, and for abstinence itself to become stable.

Symptomatology in alcoholics at various stages of abstinence.

Evaluation of 312 abstinent alcoholics (163 men and 149 women) with the Symptom Check-List 90 revealed high levels of symptomatology for subjects in the early months of abstinence. Symptomatology decreased progressively with prolonged abstinence, approximating normal levels for subjects abstinent 10 years or more. The levels were similar for men and women. At all stages, for both men and women, symptomatology was highest on the depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions, with guilt a particularly persistent symptom. It is suggested that the findings depict a long-term process of recovery from active alcoholism and are consistent with the concept of a protracted withdrawal syndrome, an intermediate (partially reversible) brain syndrome, and general psychosocial dysfunction and demoralization consequent to active alcoholism.

Validity and reliability of the Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS).

The Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS) is a self-report screening instrument intended to identify neuropsychological symptoms and deficit. A validity study that used 40 neuropsychiatric patients compared four NIS derived measures with the four best Halstead-Reitan general indicators of impairment. Additionally, two test-retest reliability studies with both patient and normal samples are reported. Results support and corroborate previous validity findings and suggest that the NIS is an acceptably stable and reliable measure.

Sensitivity and specificity of the Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS).

Evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS) using the Halstead Impairment Index as the criterion (N = 41). Acceptable values are achieved by both NIS and Trailmaking Tests when used separately. When used "in parallel," higher classification rates are achieved. This combination of the NIS, a neuropsychological symptom self-report measure, in combination with a performance task ( Trailmaking Tests) permits observation of behavioral deficit while it provides additional symptom information with which to pursue more extensive inquiry.

Neuropsychological impairment scale (NIS): initial validation study using trailmaking test (A & B) and WAIS digit symbol (scaled score) in a mixed grouping of psychiatric, neurological, and normal patients.

Described a 50-item, self-administered neuropsychological screening test with test results correlating with three reference measures for three participant groupings--Normals (N = 22), Psychiatric patients (N = 21) and Neurological patients (N = 14). Results suggest that neuropsychological self-description can correlate with performance measures that are known to be sensitive to cognitive impairment.