Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised in a sample of persons with...

The Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) is used routinely as a presurgical assessment of memory for clients considering elective resection of the temporal lobe and/or hippocampus for the relief of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. This research investigated the psychometric properties of the WMS-R in a population of people with epilepsy. The sample consisted of 181 patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy who underwent a complete neuropsychological examination as a routine part of their investigation. The results confirm that the WMS-R has acceptable levels of reliability as measured by internal consistency. A factor analysis revealed a consistent three-factor structure: Visual Memory, Verbal Memory, and Attention/ Concentration factors. Multiple regression analysis, however, indicated that the Visual Memory index was susceptible to a number of influences, throwing into question whether it is a pure measure of nonverbal memory functioning.