The test requires the subject tested to repeat an increasing number of digits with an initiation of two digits two trials with different digits are present at each increasing list length. The most commonly used neuropsychological test of short-term and working memory is the Digit Span test. Working memory is thought to be a more complex type of memory involving auditory stimuli manipulation before output production. Short term memory is defined as the ability to accurately represent the auditory environment during short time periods of several seconds often referred to as echoic memory. In a number of cognitive domains, patients with schizophrenia performed more poorly than the other patients, but the overall differences were not statistically significant among the three groups.Ĭommunication through speech perception requires both attention and memory cognitive skills to be effective. A meta-analysis reviewed the data that compared cognitive functioning across schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and affective psychosis (psychotic depression, psychotic bipolar disorder). An extensive review confirmed the presence of cognitive deficits involving attention, executive function and verbal memory in all phases of bipolar disorder. Kraepelin believed that cognitive decline wasn’t a feature of bipolar disorder, but recent research data seem to contradict that view. Furthermore, cognitive impairment is considered a “core feature” of schizophrenia by some modern authors. Today, it is widely accepted that patients with schizophrenia have poorer performance across all known neuropsychological tests and domains compared to healthy individuals (Schaefer et al., 2013). During the last decades, a great number of publications have shed light on the nature and importance of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, using the latest advances in science. Consequently, he named the disorder “dementia praecox”. Emil Kraepelin, one of the most famous psychiatrists of all time, focused on the cognitive decline as a core symptom of schizophrenia. Cognitive deficits are very commonly observed in psychiatric disorders. Key wordsĪuditory processing disorder, cognition, hearing, memory, measurement instruments in psychiatric care Abbreviations:ĪPD: Auditory Processing Disorder dB: decibels HL: Hearing Level IQ: Intelligence CoefficientSL: Sensation Level IntroductionĬognition’s complex interplay with hearing as well as with mental disorders is well established. The paradigm of the present study is that of psychiatric disorders but there is no reason why this is not valid for any population. The effect (F=5.047, p=.036) was present when evaluating the backwards digit span score.Ĭonclusions: Adapting digit span test implementation intensity will provide short-term and working memory results that are more accurate and avoid over-diagnosis of cognitive deficits. Results: There was a documented improvement of short-term memory results due to adapting intensity of the digit span test according to each ear’s specific hearing sensitivity as measured by pure tone audiometry. Repeated measures ANOVA was implemented to test for differences between the two conditions (i & iii). Study Sample: Twenty-two psychiatric inpatients were evaluated for short-term and working memory.ĭata collection and Analysis: The testing performed included (i) digit span evaluation at an intensity of 50dB HL, (ii) pure tone audiometry for hearing sensitivity evaluation and (iii) digit span evaluation at an intensity of 50dB SL (corrected based on the exact ear specific hearing sensitivity). Purpose: How important is this impact in clinical evaluation of short-term and working memory using the digit span test? The target group used is that of psychiatric patients as this patient population has both commonly observed cognitive deficits and undocumented hearing loss and auditory processing deficits. hearing loss or auditory processing disorder). Background: Accuracy of measured auditory memory may be negatively impacted by non-proper functioning of the auditory system (i.e.

Digit span test backward interpretation