Pinnakarn Srisarakorn. The study of the wechsler memory scale-third edition in the elderly demented patients . Master's Degree(Clinical Psychology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2004.
The study of the wechsler memory scale-third edition in the elderly demented patients
Abstract:
This research aimed to study the pattern of the scaled score from the
Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition on demented patients as compared with
normal elderly people and to study the problems, limitations and guidelines in
applying this test to Thai people. The total number of subjects is 70 people.
Thirty-five normal elderly people of Bang Kruay district and 35 demented
patients from Prasat Neurological Institute were compared to assess their
memory. The samples in each group were classified into two age groups (50-59
and 60 and over) and three levels of education (primary school, secondary school,
and associate degree or higher).
Results reveal that the raw scores of demented patients and normal
people on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition were significantly different
for both Primary Indexes and Auditory Process Composites. Interestingly no
difference was found between the scores of the two age groups among elderly
normal or demented patients.
The study reveals that the memory ability in normal aging is different
than for demented patients. Demented patients lose their intellectual ability and
have an insidious onset of dementia and gradually develop memory loss, while in
normal aging there is only slight forgetting. Moreover, in normal aging those who
have a high education and always use their cognitive faculties have better
memory than the others.
Recommendations for further research: enlargement of the sample
should be considered as well as increased age range to include teenage and
middle age people. This will lead the study to cover all age groups and provide a
standard for Thai people