Criterion validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition after pediatric traumatic brain injury.
The performance of 40 children with complicated mild to severe traumatic brain injury on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) was compared with that of 40 demographically matched healthy controls. Of the four WISC-IV factor index scores, only Processing Speed yielded a statistically significant group difference (p < .001) as well as a statistically significant negative correlation with length of coma (p < .01). Logistic regression, using Processing Speed to classify individual children, yielded a sensitivity of 72.50% and a specificity of 62.50%, with false positive and false negative rates both exceeding 30%. We conclude that Processing Speed has acceptable criterion validity in the evaluation of children with complicated mild to severe traumatic brain injury but that the WISC-IV should be supplemented with other measures to assure sufficient accuracy in the diagnostic process.
Donders
Jacobus
J
Psychology Service, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503-5299, USA. jacobus.donders@maryfreebed.com
Janke
Kelly
K
D000293:Adolescent; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003128:Coma / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*