Brain damage and five MMPI items with alcoholic patients.

The validity of Hovey's brain damage MMPI index for male alcoholic inpatients was investigated. With educational level controlled, the scale did not show significant relationships with established tests of cognitive and organic impairment. Significant correlations were found with measures of psychopathology. This suggests that only in populations in which neurological deficit is the main factor in variations in emotional and physical well-being will this type of index be useful to screen patients for brain damage. The results stress the importance of local cross-validation prior to the clinical use of measures such as Hovey's scale.