Parkinsonian Personality: Psychometric Description of Intellectual-Motor Functioning

• Main Author: Laverty, Vivian D.
• Other Authors: Peek, Leon A.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: North Texas State University 1985
• Subjects: Parkinson's disease; health attribution; neuromuscular functions; intellectual levels; Parkinson's disease > Psychological aspects.; Parkinson's disease > Physiological aspects.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc332144/

In an attempt to determine the normative levels in health attribution and emotional, intellectual, and neuromuscular functioning in the parkinsonian population, 31 diagnosed parkinsonian volunteers recruited from exercise classes and/or organizations were tested. Health attribution was measured by the Health Attribution Test (HAT), personality factors by the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), general intellectual level by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Revised (PPVT-R) and the Intellectual Processes subscale of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (Luria- Intelligence), and neuromuscular functioning by the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) and Bender- Gestalt (BVMGT). Controls for comparisons were obtained from the clinical ecology population and normals for personality traits and the nonspecific neurologically impaired, healthy aging populations, and normals for intellectual and neuromuscular functionings. Chi-square and t-tests were computed on the data. Results indicated that the parkinsonians manifest less lower body strength (£ < .01), poorer balance with eyes closed (JD < .01), and slower fine motor speed (p < .05) than normals. The parkinsonians function significantly better in areas involving upper body coordination (p < .01, £ < .05) , slow-controlled movements (g.< .001), BVMGT (p < .05), and PPVT-R (p < .01) than the nonspecific neurologically impaired. On the Luria-Intelligence, 21 percent of the parkinsonians compared to eight percent of the healthy aging were within the limits for brain damage (JD < .01) . Although the parkinsonians are internals for health attribution, their internal orientation is lower and external locus of control higher than the clinical ecology population (j> < .01). The parkinsonians' CAQ profile was significantly different in comparison to the clinical ecology patients on the following CAQ factors: F (impulsivity), H (boldness), N (shrewdness), 0 (insecurity), Q2 (self-sufficiency), D4 (anxious depression), Pp (psychotic deviation), As (psychasthenia), IN (independence), and So (socialization). The parkinsonians' CAQ profile was negative for depression. Their CAQ profile can be interpreted as being associated with positive adjustment. The results were interpreted as applying to health care provision for the chronically ill.