Rapid evaluation of intelligence in adults with epilepsy

This study evaluates the Wonderlic Personnel Test and its ability to duplicate the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Full Scale IQ. The Wonderlic can be given and scored by a clerk in approximately 15 min and is suitable for both individual and group administration. With the use of original (n = 100) cross-validational (n = 50) adult epileptic samples, no biases or distortions in predictability were observed across the variables of sex, age, years of education, level of intelligence, neuropsychological impairment, emotional status, primary seizure diagnosis, etiology of seizure disorder, age at onset of seizure disorder, and seizure activity. The average error in estimation of WAIS Full Scale IQs from Wonderlic IQs ranges from 0.1 to 0.3 of a single IQ point. In individual cases, there is a 90% probability that the Wonderlic will render an IQ score within 10 points of the WAIS Full Scale IQ. The Wonderlic appears to be useful in both clinical and research contexts in evaluating people with seizure disorders.