Past Issues
Discrepancy of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Scores in Recently
Detoxifi ed Han Taiwanese Male Alcoholic Patients
Ming-Chi Huang, Chun-Hsin Chen, Yen-Long Chiou, Shih-Ku Lin
Objectives: Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to neuropsychological impairment.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) provides sub-domain
information of intellectual functioning. In this study we aimed to investigate
the abnormal discrepancies in WAIS-III among Han Taiwanese male patients with
alcohol dependence. Methods: Following one-week of alcohol detoxifi cation
treatment, male inpatients fulfi lling the DSM-IV criteria of alcohol dependence
were assessed using WAIS-III. We defi ned abnormal discrepancy as the score difference
between verbal intelligent quotient (VIQ) and performance intelligent
quotient (PIQ), verbal comprehension index (VCI) and perceptual organization index
(POI), and working memory index (WMI) and processing speed index (PSI)
greater than 15, 17, and 21, respectively. We compared differences of demographic
and clinical variables between patients with (discrepancy group) or without (nondiscrepancy
group) abnormal VIQ/PIQ or VCI/POI discrepancies. Results: Thirty-
three male patients (mean age: 40.8 ± 7.4 years) completed the WAIS-III evaluation.
Compared to the norm, alcoholic subjects were found to have lower PIQ
scores, due to signifi cantly poorer POI (p < 0.05) and PSI (p < 0.05) performance.
There were abnormal VIQ/PIQ, VCI/POI, or WMI/PSI discrepancies in 10 (30.3%),
8 (24.2%), and 9 (27.3%) patients, respectively. The POI subtest scores, including
picture completion, block design, and picture arrangement, were signifi cantly lower
(p < 0.05) in the discrepancy group (N = 12) than non-discrepancy group (N =
21). Both groups did not differ signifi cantly in demographic or drinking-related
variables. Conclusion: Compared to Taiwanese norm, our recently detoxifi ed alcoholic
males were likely to have lower PIQ. They also showed higher frequencies
of abnormal VIQ/PIQ, VCI/POI, or WMI/PSI discrepancies as defi ned by the
study.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) provides sub-domain
information of intellectual functioning. In this study we aimed to investigate
the abnormal discrepancies in WAIS-III among Han Taiwanese male patients with
alcohol dependence. Methods: Following one-week of alcohol detoxifi cation
treatment, male inpatients fulfi lling the DSM-IV criteria of alcohol dependence
were assessed using WAIS-III. We defi ned abnormal discrepancy as the score difference
between verbal intelligent quotient (VIQ) and performance intelligent
quotient (PIQ), verbal comprehension index (VCI) and perceptual organization index
(POI), and working memory index (WMI) and processing speed index (PSI)
greater than 15, 17, and 21, respectively. We compared differences of demographic
and clinical variables between patients with (discrepancy group) or without (nondiscrepancy
group) abnormal VIQ/PIQ or VCI/POI discrepancies. Results: Thirty-
three male patients (mean age: 40.8 ± 7.4 years) completed the WAIS-III evaluation.
Compared to the norm, alcoholic subjects were found to have lower PIQ
scores, due to signifi cantly poorer POI (p < 0.05) and PSI (p < 0.05) performance.
There were abnormal VIQ/PIQ, VCI/POI, or WMI/PSI discrepancies in 10 (30.3%),
8 (24.2%), and 9 (27.3%) patients, respectively. The POI subtest scores, including
picture completion, block design, and picture arrangement, were signifi cantly lower
(p < 0.05) in the discrepancy group (N = 12) than non-discrepancy group (N =
21). Both groups did not differ signifi cantly in demographic or drinking-related
variables. Conclusion: Compared to Taiwanese norm, our recently detoxifi ed alcoholic
males were likely to have lower PIQ. They also showed higher frequencies
of abnormal VIQ/PIQ, VCI/POI, or WMI/PSI discrepancies as defi ned by the
study.
| Key Word | Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III, neuropsychology, alcohol dependence, discrepancy |
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