Open questions in utility theory

Throughout this paper, our main idea is to explore different classical questions arising in Utility Theory, with a particular attention to those that lean on numerical representations of preference orderings. We intend to present a survey of open questions in that discipline, also showing the state-of-art of the corresponding literature.This work is partially supported by the research projects ECO2015-65031-R, MTM2015-63608-P (MINECO/ AEI-FEDER, UE), and TIN2016-77356-P (MINECO/ AEI-FEDER, UE)

Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery: Forms I & II

https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facbooks/1371/thumbnail.jp

Discrimination of schizophrenic and brain damaged patients by a standardized version of Luria\u27s neuropsychological tests

One of the major tests facing psychiatrists and mental health professionals is identifying psychiatric disorders which are caused by structural damage to the brain. Many psychological tests have frequently been used to do this, but extensive research has found most psychological tests to be ineffective in populations consisting of chronic schizophrenic patients. The present study evaluates the ability of a new test, based on the work of the Russian neuropsychologist, A. R. Luria, to discriminate between chronic schizophrenic and neurological patients. Results from earlier studies suggested that the battery is 88% effective in making these discriminations. The present study compared 50 schizophrenic and 50 neurological patients on the test battery. The results found that the Luria Neuropsychological Battery was extremely effective in making this discrimination, achieving an overall accuracy rate of 87%, far higher than the results reported for any psychological tests using a comparable population. Other advantages of the standardized Luria Neuropsychological Examination and its uses in psychiatric practice are discussed

A Standardized, Short, and Comprehensive Neuropsychological Test Battery Based on the Luria Neuropsychological Evaluation.

Neuropsychology has played an ever increasing role in neurological and psychiatric evaluations. However, the tests and test batteries available today suffer from a number of problems including an inordinate amount of time to administer, a lack of comprehensiveness, and a failure to yield information directly relevant to diagnosis and treatment. The current article presents a test battery which attempts to integrate two major approaches to neuropsychological testing: the qualitative and the quantitative methods. Each method has significant advantages and disadvantages, while an amalgamation of the two potentially offers a powerful alternative approach to neurodiagnostics. The battery presented in this paper is a standardized version of the comprehensive qualitative battery first described by Luria and recently published by Christensen. The resultant battery is comprehensive, yet can be given in 21/2 hours; it is standardized and quantitative, but yields a qualitative assessment as well. The present study attempts to investigate the general diagnostic effectiveness of the battery, comparing 50 brain-injured and 50 hospitalized control patients. The battery was found to be 93 % diagnostically effective, more successful than any other battery or test reported in the literature. The potential uses and advantages of the battery are described

Diagnostic Validity of a Standardized Neuropsychological Battery Derived from Luria\u27s Neuropsychological Tests.

A. R. Luria has devised an extensive set of procedures used for neuropsychological evaluation. His tests permit the full identification of the specific deficits underlying a disorder and can be completed in about 2 hrs. The most significant flaw in the battery is a lack of standard administration and scoring that has precluded an assessment of its validity. The present study attempted to overcome these deficiencies by developing an objective form, combining Luria\u27s procedures with the advantages of a standard test battery. The resultant test, the Luria-South Dakota Neuro-psychological Test Battery, was evaluated using 50 medical patient controls, average age 42.0 yrs, and 50 neurological patients, average age 44.3 yrs. Of the 285 measures in the battery, 253 significantly discriminated at the .05 level, and only 16 failed to discriminate at the .2 level. A discriminant analysis, using the 30 most effective items, yielded a hit rate of 100%. The battery\u27s potential and the future research necessary are discussed. (13 ref

The effects of chronicity of disorder and length of hospitalization on the standardized version off Luria\u27s Neuropsychological Battery in a schizophrenic population.

Assessed whether chronicity of disorder and length of hospitalization affected the ability of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) to discriminate between schizophrenic and brain damaged patients and the ways in which schizophrenic patients\u27 performance differed from normal controls\u27. In 72 patients (mean age 36.96 yrs) with varying degrees of chronicity and length of hospitalization, neither variable significantly affected LNNB scores. Schizophrenics, however, did differ significantly from controls and could be classified into 2 groups: one with performance clearly indicative of brain damage and one with performance clearly indicative of normal brain function. It is suggested that the actual presence of brain damage may be the key factor in overall group performance rather than factors such as chronicity of disorder and length of hospitalization, at least on the LNNB

Relationship of Age and Education to Performance on a Standardized Version of Luria\u27s Neuropsychological tests in Different Patient Populations.

A.R. Luria, a Russian neuropsychologist, developed many qualitative bedside tests that have been effective in the diagnosis and localization of neurological disorders. Recently, a standardized and objectively-scored version of Luria\u27s tests has been developed. Knowledge of the effects of patient age and education on neuro-psychological test performance has been found crucial in the neurodiagnostic decision-making process. The present study examined the effects of patient age(younger subjects between 20 and 40 years and older subjects between 50 and 70 years of age), education (grade school, high school, and post-high school), and diagnosis (normal, schizophrenic, brain damaged) on 14 standardized Luria measures. A weighted means analysis of variance found 11 significant age effects, 14 significant educational effects, and 14 significant effects diagnosis. One significant interaction was found between education and diagnosis, the results support the contention that with appropriate age and educational corrections, the standardized Luria battery would satisfy the need for a short, objectively scored, and diagnostically effective neuropsychological battery

The Use of a Standardized Battery of Luria\u27s Test in the Diagnosis of Lateralized Cerebral Dysfunction

The present study was designed to examine the capability of a standardized battery of Luria\u27s qualitative neuropsychological techniques in discriminating between right, left and diffuse brain-injured subjects. A total of sixty medically confirmed brain-damaged subjects were equally divided among the three groups. Subjects were assigned to two groups (right, left) according to medically proven lateralized brain injury to either the right or left hemisphere in the absence of verifiable insult to the opposite hemisphere. A third group was also selected in which medical evidence confirmed damage to both hemispheres (diffuse group). All three groups were matched for age and education. All subjects were tested on a standardized version of 269 Luria\u27s qualitative neuropsychological test items. The items were divided into 11 sections based upon Luria\u27s theory of brain function. Each of the 11 sections plus a right and a left hemisphere scale as well as an overall impairment scale yielded 14 summary measures of performance representing several areas of neuropsychological ability and overall severity of brain dysfunction. Analysis of variance and discriminant analysis were used to compare the three groups on these 14 summary measures. Analysis of variance revealed on significant difference between the three groups on the Left scale with the left group performing poorest. Discriminant analysis predicted the status of 59 of 60 subjects correctly (98% hit rate). The implication of the lack of significant simple relationships (ANOVA) and the complex interrelationships found using the discriminant analysis were discussed in terms of the support these results provide for Luria\u27s theory of brain function. The specific qualitative aspects of the test battery and their use in the diagnosis of lateralized brain injury were also discussed. Indications for future research were pointed out

Localization of cerebral dysfunction with a standardized version of Luria\u27s Neuropsychological Battery.

Determined if the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery, a standardized, comprehensive version by C. J. Golden et al (1979) of A. R. Luria\u27s neuropsychological battery, can discriminate among patients with localized brain injuries. 24 right hemisphere and 36 left hemisphere patients were divided into 8 groups depending on hemisphere and location within the hemisphere (frontal, temporal, sensorimotor, or parietal–occipital). The average age of the sample was 42.5 yrs, with no significant differences in age or education among the groups. It was found that 14 summary scores derived from the Luria battery could identify clinical patterns characteristic of each group as well as suggest implications for modern theories of brain function. (44 ref