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Reliability of neurological soft signs in children: Reevaluation of the PANESS

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Abstract

Testretest reliability and intellectualbehavioral correlates of a revised version of the Physical and Neurological Examination for Soft Signs (PANESS) were evaluated. The WISC-R and PANESS were administered to a heterogeneous clinical sample of 28 6-to 8-year-old children. Test-retest interval for PANESS retest was approximately 28 days with 15 children retested by same testers and the remaining children retested by different testers. Results indicated that PANESS total score is a reliable indicator of overall performance; tester assignment and retest had negligible effects on total score. Grade of subcategory scores proved unreliable across examiners but occurrence/nonoccurrence scores were more robust. Performance on the PANESS was significantly correlated with WISCR indices sensitive to brain dysfunction, and behavioral factors implicated in the description of minor neurological dysfunction. Further research evaluating discriminant validity of the examination and changes in performance as a result of development is recommended.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, South Carolina

    E. Wayne Holden, Kenneth J. Tarnowski & Ronald J. Prinz

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  1. E. Wayne Holden
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  2. Kenneth J. Tarnowski
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  3. Ronald J. Prinz
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Additional information

The authors wish to thank Clint Bowers, Melissa Commander-Hodo, Debra Drewry, Elizabeth Evans, Alyson Forbes, Lisa Hinson, Pamela Moore, and Susan Moore for their assistance.

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Holden, E.W., Tarnowski, K.J. & Prinz, R.J. Reliability of neurological soft signs in children: Reevaluation of the PANESS. J Abnorm Child Psychol 10, 163–172 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915938

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915938

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