Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Mayville, Erik Andrew
URN	etd-0624102-210642
Title	The Matson and Mayville (M&M) Seizure Scale: An Assessment of Psychological and Environmental Variables Contributing to Seizure Activity in Persons with Mental Retardation
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department	Psychology
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Johnny L. Matson Committee Chair Amy Copeland Committee Member Claire D. Advokat Committee Member W. Drew Gouvier Committee Member Arnold Nelson Dean's Representative
Keywords	assessment seizure disorder mental retardation epilepsy
Date of Defense	2001-05-07
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Seizure activity can be debilitating across a number of physical, social, occupational, and personal domains. Given the deficits in all of these areas frequently present in persons with mental retardation, the control and elimination of seizures is a primary goal for individuals with both mental retardation and epilepsy. Antiepileptic medication can reduce seizure activity. However, this intervention often carries with it a range of untoward side effects that may adversely affect clients over what is typically a long-term treatment regimen. Over the last 20 years, literature has emerged emphasizing the importance of environmental variables in the initiation and maintenance of seizure activity. The assessment of such factors and subsequent development of behavioral interventions to reduce seizure activity in persons with mental retardation would be a significant addition to treatment efforts typically dependent upon chemical intervention alone. The Matson and Mayville (M&M) seizure scale is the first assessment tool designed to assess such factors specific to persons with mental retardation. This study examined the psychometric properties of this scale through the assessment of internal consistency, construct validity, and inter-rater, cross-rater, and test-retest reliability statistics. Results revealed good inter-rater reliability, but lower overall values for the remaining statistical evaluations. Some evidence of reliability and validity was apparent in individual items; further research is needed to further evaluate the potential of this approach.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    Mayville_dis.pdf 322.60 Kb 00:01:29 00:00:46 00:00:40 00:00:20 00:00:01