Sensitivity and Specificity of MMPI-2 Neurologic Correction Factors

Abstract

A number of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) items have been hypothesized to reflect neurologic symptomatology, rather than psychopathology, among closed-head-injury (CHI) patients. Some investigators have proposed a correction factor interpretive approach, which involves the deletion of such items from the MMPI-2 profile, as a method of reducing the probability of artificial clinical scale elevations due to the symptoms of CHI. The present study employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of three correction factors. All three factors demonstrated strong sensitivity when discriminating CHI patients from normal individuals but demonstrated poor specificity when discriminating CHI patients from psychiatric patients. These findings suggest that caution should be applied in using MMPI-2 neurologic correction factors, particularly with patients who might have comorbid psychiatric conditions.

Symptom Checklist 90–Revised in neurological outpatients

“…An important shortcoming in the administration of questionnaires in general in a neurological population is the absence of specific normative data. The applicability of personality questionnaires in neurological patients has been subject of discussion in different studies, and multiple limitations have been described (e.g., Alfano, Finlayson, Stearns, & Neilson, 1990;Alfano, Paniak, & Finlayson, 1993;Bornstein & Kozora, 1990;Glassmire et al, 2003). Many limitations also hold for the administration of the SCL-90-R in this population.…”

Myths and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

“…While this may be sensitive to neurologic injuries, clinicians should be aware that this is not specific to mild TBI and instead suggest general emotional distress. These correction scales are also not appropriate for individuals who are suspected of having a comorbid psychiatric condition as this can obscure an accurate clinical picture (Glassmire et al 2003). Clinicians should also be aware that somatically focused subscales may still remain excessively elevated due to preexisting issues and must be carefully evaluated on a case by case basis (Greiffenstein and Baker 2001).…”

Use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐2 With Persons Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis

“…Researchers have identified certain questions contained in the MMPI-2 that pertain to physical, physiological, or neurological symptoms or complaints (Glassmire et al, 2003). Depending on the study, anywhere from 5 to 31 specific questions have been identified where neurological and psychiatric symptoms overlap (Boyle, Clark, Klonoff, Paty, & Oger, 1991;Elder, 1999;Gass, 1996;Hovey, 1964;Meyerink, Reitan, & Selz, 1988;Nelson, Elder, Groot, Tehrani, & Grant, 2004;Schwartz & Brown, 1973).…”

“…Scales 1 (Hypochondriasis), 2 (Depression), 3 (Hysteria), and 8 (Schizophrenia) are affected the most by endorsement of neurologically relevant items, and most studies identify these scales as elevated in persons with MS (Boyle et al, 1991;Elder, 1999;Hovey, 1967;Larrabee, 2002;Marsh, Hirsch, & Leung, 1982;Meyerink et al, 1988). Thus, elevations on these scales may reflect neurological symptomatology rather than psychopathology (Glassmire et al, 2003). Others have added Scale 7 (Psychasthenia) to the list of elevated scores (Nelson et al, 2003;Wilson et al, 1982).…”