Cross-validation of WAIS-R prototypical patterns of intellectual functioning using neuropsychological test scores.

A heterogeneous sample of neuropsychiatric patients were classified with respect to the nine prototypical patterns of intellectual functioning observed previously in the WAIS-R standardization sample. Of the manifestly right-handed patients, all but 9.9% could be classified with respect to membership in a prototypical group. This suggested that the most frequent consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders may be to produce patterns which are similar to those found in the standardization sample. However, the prevalence of these groups within the neuropsychiatric sample was dramatically different from those found in the standardization sample. Prototypical patterns with lower levels of overall functioning were also found to have lower scores on neuropsychological tests consistent with a wide range of cognitive, psychomotor, and memory deficits. By demonstrating an association between group membership and neuropsychological performance, these results contribute to the cross-validation of the prototypical patterns observed in the WAIS-R standardization sample.