title: A validity study of the WAIT in closed head injury.
abstract: This investigation is a validity study on an instrument designed to assess the cognitive status of CHI patients in the acute phase. The Wolinsky Amnesia Information Test (WAIT) is a questionnaire, orally administered and then scored in a standardized format. Interrater reliability has been previously demonstrated. In this study, the WAIT was compared to the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT), CT scans, and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Seventy-five subjects participated in the study, all hospital trauma patients at an urban regional trauma centre, who had been referred to the neuropsychology consult service for cognitive testing. Patients were screened to rule out preexisting developmental, drug, alcohol, or documented prior LOC history. Patients' ages ranged from 18-59, with a mean of 33.45 years. A large majority of the patients (81.3%) were diagnosed with a mild level of CHI. Concurrent, discriminative, and construct validity of the WAIT were investigated, and found satisfactory. The data were submitted to factor analysis in order to uncover underlying constructs. In addition to the 'orientation' and 'amnesia' factors identified through factor analysis, a third factor was found and labelled: 'personal temporal/continuum memory'. Limitations of the study and possible directions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: tmcdii@aol.com
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Franzen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires