The Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) is a
neuropsychological test designed to measure different
memory
Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
functions in a person. Anyone ages 16 to 90 is eligible to take this test. The current version is the fourth edition (WMS-IV) which was published in 2009 and which was designed to be used with the
WAIS-IV
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is an IQ test designed to measure intelligence and cognitive ability in adults and older adolescents. The original WAIS (Form I) was published in February 1955 by David Wechsler, as a revision of th ...
. A person's performance is reported as five Index Scores: Auditory Memory, Visual Memory, Visual Working Memory, Immediate Memory, and Delayed Memory. The WMS-IV also incorporates an optional cognitive exam (Brief Cognitive Status Exam) that helps to assess global cognitive functioning in people with suspected memory deficits or those who have been diagnosed with a various neural, psychiatric and/or developmental disorders. This may include conditions such as dementias or mild learning difficulties.
There is clear evidence that the WMS differentiates clinical groups (such as those with
dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
s or neurological disorders) from those with normal memory functioning and that the primary index scores can distinguish among the memory-impaired clinical groups.
History
The original WMS was published by
The Psychological Corporation (later acquired by
Pearson Pearson may refer to:
Organizations Education
*Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
*Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC
*Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation)
Companies
*Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...
), first in 1945, with revisions in 1987, 1997, and 2009.
The WMS-IV was normed with the
WAIS-IV
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is an IQ test designed to measure intelligence and cognitive ability in adults and older adolescents. The original WAIS (Form I) was published in February 1955 by David Wechsler, as a revision of th ...
in the United States. This resulted in a representative normative sample of 1,400 adults (between the ages of 16 and 90) who completed both scales.
References
Further reading
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External links
Wechsler Memory Scale – Fourth Edition (WMS-IV)at publisher
{{Psychologic and psychiatric evaluation and testing
Neuropsychological tests