-
The Multi-Level Pattern Memory Test (MPMT): Initial Validation of a Novel Performance Validity Test.Brain Sciences Aug 2021Performance validity tests (PVTs) are used for the detection of noncredible performance in neuropsychological assessments. The aim of the study was to assess the...
Performance validity tests (PVTs) are used for the detection of noncredible performance in neuropsychological assessments. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy (i.e., discrimination capacity) of a novel PVT, the Multi-Level Pattern Memory Test (MPMT). It includes stages that allow profile analysis (i.e., detecting noncredible performance based on an analysis of participants' performance across stages) and minimizes the likelihood that it would be perceived as a PVT by examinees. In addition, it utilizes nonverbal stimuli and is therefore more likely to be cross-culturally valid. In Experiment 1, participants that were instructed to simulate cognitive impairment performed less accurately than honest controls in the MPMT ( = 67). Importantly, the MPMT has shown an adequate discrimination capacity, though somewhat lower than an established PVT (i.e., Test of Memory Malingering-TOMM). Experiment 2 ( = 77) validated the findings of the first experiment while also indicating a dissociation between the simulators' objective performance and their perceived cognitive load while performing the MPMT. The MPMT and the profile analysis based on its outcome measures show initial promise in detecting noncredible performance. It may, therefore, increase the range of available PVTs at the disposal of clinicians, though further validation in clinical settings is mandated. The fact that it is an open-source software will hopefully also encourage the development of research programs aimed at clarifying the cognitive processes involved in noncredible performance and the impact of PVT characteristics on clinical utility.
PubMed: 34439658
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081039 -
JAMA Psychiatry Nov 2021
Topics: Adult; Biomedical Research; Data Accuracy; Data Collection; Humans; Internet; Malingering; Patient Selection; Psychiatry; User-Computer Interface
PubMed: 34431976
DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2315 -
Assessment Dec 2022This article investigates the accuracy of individual and combined indicators based on different strategies for detecting noncredible performance as part of a new test...
OBJECTIVE
This article investigates the accuracy of individual and combined indicators based on different strategies for detecting noncredible performance as part of a new test for the continuous assessment of short-term memory.
METHOD
In two independent studies, we assessed three groups of simulators, cognitively impaired patients, and nonimpaired community members with four tasks separated by a distractor.
RESULTS
Pairwise comparisons between receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed significant differences between two clusters of indicators: mean recognition, inconsistent responses in recognition, and false positives (area under the ROC curves > .800) proved more accurate than delayed recall and false negatives (area under the ROC curves < .800) in discriminating simulators from patients. Likewise, both studies revealed that adding the false positives indicator based on cued recall to mean recognition incrementally improved classification accuracy (including sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value ) compared with the recognition indicator alone.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the association of two distinct indicators for the assessment of noncredible performance, of which one should be a forced-choice indicator.
Topics: Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Sensitivity and Specificity; Reproducibility of Results; Mental Recall; Predictive Value of Tests; Malingering
PubMed: 34423686
DOI: 10.1177/10731911211040105 -
Biodiversity Data Journal 2021The Hummingbird (Family Trochilidae) Collection of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) is one of the oldest collections of this...
BACKGROUND
The Hummingbird (Family Trochilidae) Collection of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) is one of the oldest collections of this family harboured in European museums. Almost 2,000 specimens, that encompass most of the taxonomic diversity of this family, were collected in the late 19 Century. The collection is relevant due its antiquity and because all specimens were bought from the same provider, mainly as mounted specimens, for a Portuguese private collection of Neotropical fauna. In the early 20 Century, it was donated to the Museum that is now the MHNC-UP.
NEW INFORMATION
The information about the majority of these specimens is now available for consultation on the GBIF platform after curation of all specimens and digital cleaning of the associated metadata. In the process, hundreds of non-catalogued specimens were found and taxonomic and spatial information was updated for many of the specimens.
PubMed: 34393580
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e59913 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... Oct 2021Factitious disorder is classified as one of the five aspects of somatic symptom disorders. The fundamental element of factitious disorder is deception, i.e., pretending... (Review)
Review
Factitious disorder is classified as one of the five aspects of somatic symptom disorders. The fundamental element of factitious disorder is deception, i.e., pretending to have a medical or psychiatric disorder, but the enactment of deception is considered unconscious. Indeed, volition, i.e., the perception of deliberate deception, is blurred in patients presenting with factitious disorder. In the USA and the UK, factitious disorder has received constant media attention because of its forensic implications and outrageous costs for the National Health Systems. Unfortunately, a comparable level of attention is not present in Italian National Health System or the Italian mass media. The review analyzes the classifications, disorder mechanisms, costs, and medico-legal implications in the hope of raising awareness on this disturbing issue. Moreover, the review depicts 13 exemplification cases, anonymized and fictionalized by expert writers. Finally, our paper also evaluates the National Health System's expenditures for each patient, outlandish costs in the range between 50,000 and 1 million euros.
Topics: Factitious Disorders; Humans; Italy; Malingering; Neurology; Public Health
PubMed: 34346017
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05422-9 -
Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology :... Aug 2021
Topics: Blood Flow Velocity; Female; Humans; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Societies, Medical; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Umbilical Arteries
PubMed: 34278615
DOI: 10.1002/uog.23698 -
Cureus Jun 2021Malingering is the intentional fabrication of symptoms for material gain. Malingering among frequent utilizers and patients with psychiatric symptoms is suspected to be...
Malingering is the intentional fabrication of symptoms for material gain. Malingering among frequent utilizers and patients with psychiatric symptoms is suspected to be common in emergency settings but difficult to detect and manage. We present a case report of a 50-year-old man feigning psychosis and suicidality in order to obtain shelter. Strategies to identify malingered psychiatric symptoms are presented. Understanding how malingering is adaptational can help clinicians begin to manage these patients and symptoms in a compassionate manner that preserves healthcare resources, improves patient care, and reduces the risk of burnout for clinicians.
PubMed: 34277261
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15670 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2021Pregnant women may be at higher risk of severe complications associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may lead to...
Pregnant women may be at higher risk of severe complications associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may lead to obstetrical complications. We performed a case control study comparing pregnant women with severe coronavirus disease 19 (cases) to pregnant women with a milder form (controls) enrolled in the COVI-Preg international registry cohort between March 24 and July 26, 2020. Risk factors for severity, obstetrical and immediate neonatal outcomes were assessed. A total of 926 pregnant women with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 were included, among which 92 (9.9%) presented with severe COVID-19 disease. Risk factors for severe maternal outcomes were pulmonary comorbidities [aOR 4.3, 95% CI 1.9-9.5], hypertensive disorders [aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0-7.0] and diabetes [aOR2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.5]. Pregnant women with severe maternal outcomes were at higher risk of caesarean section [70.7% (n = 53/75)], preterm delivery [62.7% (n = 32/51)] and newborns requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit [41.3% (n = 31/75)]. In this study, several risk factors for developing severe complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant women were identified including pulmonary comorbidities, hypertensive disorders and diabetes. Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes appear to be influenced by the severity of maternal disease.
Topics: Adult; COVID-19; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnant Women; Premature Birth; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34230507
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92357-y -
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Jan 2023Despite poor treatment results, a family-oriented approach and the securing of residency have been deemed essential to recovery from resignation syndrome (RS). In a...
Despite poor treatment results, a family-oriented approach and the securing of residency have been deemed essential to recovery from resignation syndrome (RS). In a retrospective cohort study, we evaluated an alternative method involving environmental therapy, with patients separated from their parents, while actively abstaining from involving the asylum process in treatment. We examined medical records, social services acts, and residential care home acts from 13 individuals treated at Solsidan residential care home between 2005 and 2020. Severity and outcome were assessed with Clinical Global Impression, Severity and Improvement subscales. Thirteen participants were included and out of these nine (69%) recovered, i.e. they very much or much improved. Out of the eight that were separated, all recovered, also, one non-separated recovered. The difference in outcome between subjects separated and not was significant (p = 0.007). Moreover, out of the five which received a residency permit during treatment, one recovered whereas four did not. The difference in outcome between subjects granted residency and not was significant (p = 0.007). The data revealed three (23%) cases of simulation where parents were suspected to have instigated symptoms. Our evaluation suggests that separation from parents and abstaining from invoking residency permit could be essential components when treating RS. Relying on a family-oriented approach, and residency could even be detrimental to recovery. The examined intervention was successful also in cases of probable malingering by proxy.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Parents; Refugees; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 34223993
DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01833-3 -
Psychological Assessment Dec 2021This study evaluated symptom validity scales from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) and mild Brain Injury Atypical Symptom Scale (mBIAS) in a sample of 338...
This study evaluated symptom validity scales from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) and mild Brain Injury Atypical Symptom Scale (mBIAS) in a sample of 338 combat veterans. Classification statistics were computed using the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) as the validity criterion. Symptom distress was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-5. At SIMS > 14, the NSI total score resulted in the highest area under the curve (AUC; .91), followed by Validity-10 (AUC = .88) and mBIAS (AUC = .67). At SIMS > 23, both NSI total and Validity-10 AUCs decreased to .88; in contrast, mBIAS AUC increased to .75. The NSI total score and Validity-10 were interpreted to reflect symptom magnification, whereas the mBIAS may reflect symptom fabrication. There was a subsample with elevated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and PTSD Checklist-5 scores who were significantly distressed but not deemed invalid on the NSI; however, there appears to be an upper threshold on the NSI total score (>69) beyond which nobody produced an invalid score on the SIMS. A recommended approach is provided for using NSI-related validity measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Brain Injuries; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychological Distress; Self Report; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Veterans
PubMed: 34138624
DOI: 10.1037/pas0001047