Amnestic disturbance and PTSD in the Aftermath of a chemical release (original) (raw)

1997, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology

Following an environmental chemical exposure to Catacarb from a refinery, seventy medical clinic patients who complained of memory problems and were subsequently referred for neuropsychological assessments completed the Rey 15-Item Visual Memory Test, Memory Assessment Scales (MAS), and MMPI-2. Of 59 participants remaining after appropriate exclusions (56% female, 66% White, mean age = 43.9 years, 68% at least some college), 43% were found to have visual memory impairment based on the MAS scores. Scores for the Rey total mean = 13.3, SD = 2.3; Rey rows mean = 4.3, SD = 0.9; MAS Visual Memory mean = 94, SD = 7.7; MMPI-2 Validity scale scores: L-scale mean T---56.5, SD = 10.3; MMPI-2 F-scale mean T = 60.9, SD = 12.9, and K-scale mean T = 47.4, SD = 9.3. Reported correlations are adjusted for ethnicity and education. The Rey total and Rey rows correlated with the MAS Visual Memory Index (r = 0.39, p = .004 and r = 0.35, p = .001). MAS Visual Recognition Distractors correlated with MAS Visual Memory (r = 0.52, p = .0001), and the Rey total (r = 0.32, p = .017) but not the Rey rows. The Rey total correlated highly with Rey rows (r = 0.85, p = .0001). The Rey rows correlated with the MMPI-2 L-scale (r = 0.34, p = .01), but did not correlated with the F nor K scales. A Factor Analysis using Varimax rotation produced two factors, the first suggesting a Mental Concentration component and the second a Visual Memory component. These results suggest this cohort did not malinger poor performance on the tests and that there is a strong relationships between visual memory and performance on the Rey.