292 Abstracts

An exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine the role of RT for tests of the HRNB. In view of the limited sample size, the Wechsler measures were excluded from the analysis. An unweighted least squares method of factor extraction was used while a varimax rotation provided orthogonal simple structures. The result- ant seven factor rotated solution accounted for a total of 63.2% of the variability. The three Category Test response time measures all loaded on Factor I which had the highest eigenvalue and accounted for slightly more than 21% of the variability. Because no other variables meaningfully (> + .30) loaded on the first factor, these data were interpreted as early support for an orthogonal factor- speed of informa- tion processing. The remaining six factors were found to be similar to other factor analytic studies reported in the literature. Results of this study then, did not appear to be idosyncratic to the present sample. The significant role of RT in defining the underlying construct of the HRNB was discussed in terms of enhancing the neuro- psychological significance of the HRNB.

The Utility of a Neuropsychological Symptom Inventory in the Classification of Neurologic and Depressed Patients. Gurmal Rattan (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Dorothy A. Strom (Neuropsychology Laboratory, Ball State University), and Raymond S. Dean (Neuropsychology Laboratory, Ball State University and Indiana University School of Medicine)

Traditionally, the neurological examination of psychiatric patient has served as a basic triage function. More recently, however, an appreciation of the neurological features of psychiatric illness is being considered as an essential dimension in under- standing the psychiatric patient. Studies which have investigated neurological symp- tomology for psychiatric patients have usually found a positive relationship. Al- though it is apparent that neurological involvement is prevalent with psychiatric groups, little research data exists which examines neurological symptomology for depressed patients.

The present investigation was designed to compare the symptoms of neurological- ly impaired and depressed patients with normal controls using the Neuropsychologi- cal Symptom Inventory (NSI). The NSI is a self-report measure consisting of 50 symptoms which can be answered in a true or false fashion. This measure was administered to 74 adult patients. Of these, 24 patients were neurologically impaired as evidenced by lesions documented through CT scans, 24 patients with unipolar depression diagnosed by RDC criteria, and 24 normal adult volunteers.

Results indicated that symptoms such as hallucinations, numbness of extremities, balance problems, and a localized place on head sensitive to touch significantly (p< .05) differentiated the neurologically impaired patients from the depressed and normal groups. Similarly, sleep problems was a significant (p< .05) predictor of the depressed group. Using a step-wise discriminant analysis, a total of 91% of patients were correctly diagnosed on the basis of reported symptoms. These results were discussed in terms of the overlap in symptomology between the neurological and depressed groups, and the relative efficiency of using a self-report measure in making differential diagnoses.