The development and preliminary investigations of the validity of the Halifax Mental Status Scale (HMSS) are described. The HMSS was constructed to find a balance between ease of administration and broad sampling of behavior. The initial study examined its use in residential care facilities, and it was found to be internally consistent and reliable over retest intervals of a few weeks and 1 year when a sample of 63 subjects was examined. In another sample, it also differentiated groups of subjects with different nursing care requirements (n = 25). Factor analysis of the total residential group (N-88) suggested that the HMSS samples distinct domains of cognitive functioning. The second study examined the HMSS as a screening instrument with outpatients. The HMSS summary score and factor scores differentiated groups with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (n = 27) and stroke (n = 20) from healthy control subjects (K = 22) and subjects with depression (« = 8).Information about the mental status of a client is important to any health care professional caring for elderly clients because of the prevalence of dementia in this population (Ineichen, 1987). Standardized tests of mental status have become widelyused as screening instruments and considerable effort has been devoted to the development of very brief diagnostic tests. As a result, most mental status assessments sample only a limited range of abilities, such as general knowledge, orientation, concentration, and memory for individual words or phrases
Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in the treatment of prolonged low arousal state following a severe brain injury. To implement a behavioural program, designed to train communication skills to this patient.Study Design: A single case withdrawal design was conducted in a hospital setting with a patient with a severe brain injury. Titrated doses of Ritalin were administered, and a modified arousal scale was designed to monitor the patient's status.Results: Results indicated improvements in arousal during the treatment phase. This improvement in arousal allowed implementation of a behavioural program, designed to train communication skills to this patient. Following the neurobehavioural program reliability for yes and no responses increased to 58% and 73% respectively.Conclusions: Improvement in arousal was achieved which allowed implementation of a behavioural program, designed to train communication skills to this patient.
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