Differentiating Clinical Groups Using the Serial Color-Word Test (S–Cwt)

• Published in: Perceptual and motor skills Vol. 112; no. 2; pp. 629 - 638
• Main Authors: Hentschel, Uwe, Rubino, I. Alex, Bijleveld, Catrien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.04.2011; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attention; Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Bootstrap method; Discriminant analysis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical treatment; Middle Aged; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Reaction Time; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenic Psychology; Stroop Test - statistics & numerical data; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - diagnosis; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0031-5125; 1558-688X
• DOI: 10.2466/05.09.13.PMS.112.2.629-638

The present study attempted to differentiate 11 diagnostic groups by means of the Serial Color-Word Test (S–CWT), using multivariate discriminant analysis. Two alternative scoring systems of the S–CWT were outlined. A sample of 514 individuals who had clinical diagnoses of various types and 397 controls who had no diagnostic findings comprised the sample. The first discriminant analysis failed to differentiate the groups adequately. The groups were consequently reduced to four (schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, temporo-mandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome, and eating disturbances), which gave better reclassification findings for a clinical application of the test. This classification gave over 55% correct assignments. The final four groups had a statistically significant discrimination on the test, which remained stable also in a bootstrap procedure. Implications for treatment indications and outcomes as well as strategies for further studies using the S–CWT are discussed.