Diagnosing Dementia in Persons Having Intellectual Disability
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Authors
McGrew, Deborah
Issue Date
2006
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a selected battery of neuropsychological tests could be used to detect dementia in Intellectually Disabled persons. Seven participants having mild to moderate Intellectual Disabilities were grouped by a) the presence of dementia, b) the absence of dementia, and c) questionable dementia. Participants were given a test battery that included the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - III, The Test for Severe Impairment, the Dementia Rating Scale for Mentally Retarded Persons, the Finger Tapping Test, and the Grooved Pegboard. Data was recorded in both written and videotaped form and analyzed through visual inspection and content analysis of the process. Results indicated differentiation between groups using the above measures. The most robust findings occurred using the Finger Tapping and Grooved Pegboard Tests. Implications for future research and client welfare are discussed.