title: Pain, malingering, and performance on the WAIS-III Processing Speed Index.
abstract: Pain patients often report cognitive symptoms and many will include them in their claims of disability. The Processing Speed Index (PSI) of the WAIS-III was investigated as one aspect of cognitive functioning in six groups. Slight impairment was found for PSI and Digit Symbol subtest performance, but not for Symbol Search, in a Laboratory-induced Pain group and a Clinical Pain group. The lowest scores were found in a Simulator group instructed to fake cognitive impairment and a Clinical Pain group diagnosed as Malingering. Results suggest that PSI scores are only slightly reduced by laboratory-induced pain or chronic pain, and that unexpectedly low scores in the absence of significant/documented brain dysfunction suggest poor effort or deliberate misrepresentation.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Etherton
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heinly
authors.forename: Kevin W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Greve
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000523:psychology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014888:Wechsler Scales