MMPI correlates of performance intellectual deficits in patients with right hemisphere lesions

This study investigated the emotional adjustment of 50 patients with focal brain damage in the right hemisphere (RHD). The impact of functional loss (as assessed by the WAIS Performance IQ) was assessed by a multivariate comparison of the composite MMPI profiles of these patients as classified into three groups: Below Average, Average, and Above Average Performance IQ. Regardless of the extent of decline in Performance-related abilities, right hemisphere impairment was associated with symptoms of mild depression, loss of initiative, anxiety, denial, and somatic preoccupations. MMPI scores were not correlated significantly with their WAIS Performance IQs. Implications for neuropsychological assessment are discussed.