Estimating premorbid intelligence in persons with traumatic brain injury: an examination of the Test of Premorbid Functioning

Knowledge of intelligence is essential for interpreting cognitive performance following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Test of Premorbid Functioning (ToPF), a word reading test co-normed with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th Edition (WAIS-IV), was examined as a tool for estimating premorbid intelligence in persons with a history of TBI. Fifty-two participants with mild, moderate, or severe TBI were administered the ToPF and WAIS-IV between two weeks and 19 months post-injury. The independent ability of the ToPF/demographic score and the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) to predict WAIS-IV Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) was examined, as were discrepancies between ToPF and WAIS-IV scores within and between participants. The ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ accounted for a significant proportion of variability in actual FSIQ, above and beyond that accounted for by education or time since injury. ToPF and WAIS-IV scores did not differ by injury severity. In our sample, the ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ underestimated intelligence in a substantial portion of our participants (31%), particularly in those with high average to superior intelligence. Finally, VCI scores were more predictive of actual FSIQ than the ToPF/demographic predicted FSIQ. The ToPF frequently underestimated post-injury intelligence and is therefore not accurately measuring premorbid intelligence in our sample, particularly in those with above average to superior intelligence. Clinicians are encouraged to administer the entire WAIS-IV, or at minimum the VCI subtests, for a more accurate measure of intelligence in those with above average intelligence and history of TBI.

Extensive laminin and basement membrane accumulation occurs at the onset of bleomycin-induced rodent pulmonary fibrosis

The distribution of laminin was studied during pulmonary fibrosis induced in rodents by bleomycin sulfate. Large accumulations of laminin associated with basement membranes were seen in thickened lung interstitial spaces by immunofluorescence microscopy, starting at 7 days (32-75% increases) and persisting through 28 days (66-79% increase). By electron microscopy, these laminin concentrations were skeinlike masses of reduplicated basement membranes localized at the surface of alveolar capillary endothelial cells. Numerous macrophages were also associated with this basement membrane material. These findings suggest that bleomycin-induced damage to lung cells causes massive local accumulations of basement membranes, which might be involved in the expansion of the interstitial stroma by stimulating attachment and activation of certain inflammatory cells.

Effects of methomyl and ethanol on behavior in the Sprague-Dawley rat

Emotional behavior and activity levels were studied following administration of ethanol and/or a carbamate pesticide, methomyl, to rats via a ground chow diet. Acetylcholinesterase levels were lowered following the experimental diets. The group having the greatest reduction in AChE, the methomyl group, showed less evidence for habituation in an open-field test. No differences relative to control subjects were noted on handling and muricide tests.