Behavioral Measures of Neurotoxicity (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Methods in Behavioral Toxicology: Current Test Batteries and Need for Development
Methods in Behavioral Toxicology: Current Test Batteries and Need for Development
Pages 39-55
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From page 39... ...
However, psychologists doing research on behavioral toxicology do use the knowledge and methods developed in other fields of psychology. Methods of behavioral toxicology originate from different branches of applied and academic psychology: clinical psychology, neuropsychology, aptitude testing, psychophysiological psychology, and in recent years, cognitive psychology.
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From page 40... ...
Descriptions of the tests were published in a separate booklet (Hanninen and Lindstrom, 1979) , and several of them have spread to wider use in behavioral toxicology: the Santa Ana dexterity test, the Bourdon-Wiersma Vigilance test, the Benton test for visual memory, and selected subtasks of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (WAIS)
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From page 41... ...
In addition to the tests used in studies 6 and 7, the regular sequence of NES tests also includes a verbal Associate Learning task and a vocabulary test for obtaining a measure of initial intelligence level. The last study in Table 1 (Williamson and Teo, 1986)
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From page 42... ...
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From page 44... ...
Neurobehavioral dysfunctions seen in intoxication patients provide useful information that directs the choice of methods when the early effects are studied, and vice versa: results of the epidemiological studies have guided the selection of tests in clinical test batteries. Table 2 lists the tests included in three diagnostic test batteries: the one used by Bolla-Wilson and Bleecker in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (BolIa-Wilson and Bleeker, 1987~; the Pittsburgh Occupational Exposures Test Battery, or POET (Ryan et al., 1987)
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From page 45... ...
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From page 46... ...
It is also possible that they had such expectations, but wanted to sample a broader area of function to be better able to circumscribe the effect. Some differences in the emphasis given to different functional areas were also found: some batteries emphasized psychomotor tasks; others, cognitive tests, or memory tests in particular.
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From page 47... ...
The seven tests included in the NCTB can also be recommended as common tests in more comprehensive test batteries, to allow comparison of results obtained by different research groups. The NCTB includes Pursuit Aiming for motor steadiness, Simple Reaction time for attention and response speed, Digit Symbol for perceptual motor speed, Santa Ana for manual dexterity, the Benton Visual Retention test for visual perception and memory, and the Digit Span test for auditory memory.
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From page 48... ...
Nevertheless, it covers the functions that are most likely to be affected and can be expected to be able to detect neurotoxic effects in more hazardous exposure situations. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: SOME CRUCIAL ISSUES Neuropsychological Description/Definition of Neurotoxic Syndromets)
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From page 49... ...
Natural History of the Neurotoxic Effects The time course of behavioral effects is also poorly known. The severity of an effect is apparently a function of both the intensity and the duration of exposure, as demonstrated by Mutti and coworkers (1984)
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From page 50... ...
Another reason for measuring narrow elemental functions is that they offer fewer possibilities for compensating an impaired function by use of other, unaffected ones. Simple reaction time is one example of a well-circumscribed elemental function sensitive to neurotoxic exposures.
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From page 51... ...
Changes in Personality, Mood, and! Affect The behavioral effects of neurotoxic substances include changes in mood, affect reaction, and personality.
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From page 52... ...
For example, the Digit Span of the Revised WAIS yields more accurate scores than the old Digit Span test, and sensitivity of the WMS Associate Learning can be improved by increasing the number of difficult items. Yet improving old tests may not be enough.
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From page 53... ...
At the same time, however, it is important to work on new methodological paradigms aiming particularly at a better neuropsychological description of the neurotoxic syndrome and its agent-specific variants. Future research should also be directed to the time course of neurotoxic effects during continuing exposure and after its cessation.
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From page 54... ...
1986. Psychological tests in the detection of early neurotoxic effects: Construction and preliminary validation of a screening test battery.
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From page 55... ...
1987. Assessment of neuropsychological dysfunction in the workplace: Normative data from the Pittsburgh Occupational Exposures Test Battery.
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