This study investigated differences in Trail Making Test performance as a function of over-all level of neuropsychological impairment in a sample of elderly patients diagnosed as having various dementing diseases. Patients were classified as mildly, moderately, or severely impaired (ns = 19, 25, 26) based on the seven measures used to compute the Impairment Index of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery. The mean ages for the mildly, moderately, and severely impaired groups were 67.72, 71.56, and 71.16 yr., respectively. Using level of impairment as the grouping variable, subjects were compared on the mean number of seconds required to complete Trail Making Test A, B, and A + B. Three one-way analyses of variance indicated significant differences for Parts A, B, and A + B. As over-all level of impairment increased, time required to complete the Trail Making Test increased. Results are discussed and directions for further research are recommended.

Adults and adolescents, who as children, received day or residential treatment were followed up ten years after treatment completion. No differences were found between the two treatment modalities on follow-up ratings of personal and social adjustment. This pattern was not influenced by gender, IQ, or presenting problem. Overall, about two-thirds of the children demonstrated improvement at follow-up. As expected, individuals demonstrating higher levels of personal and social adjustment at initial assessment were functioning better at outcome. However, the magnitude of therapeutic gain was not significantly different for mild versus moderate-to-severe presenting problems. Suggestions for future research are included.

Cognitive and neuropsychological tests are often employed to help describe the functioning of patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID) or patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). In this study, the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) were completed by 20 MID patients and 62 patients with DAT. Total scores on these measures did not differentiate DAT and MID patients. Contrary to clinical observations, cognitive tasks assessing social judgment did not differentiate between the groups. However, MID patients demonstrated greater variability in test scores. Compared with DAT patients, the MID patients demonstrated better preserved memory as shown on the WMS in comparison to the WAIS-R IQ.