Today I was analysed by my psychologist. One hour of intensive testing at the Starbucks in Covent Garden (Peppermint tea please). I’m not sure if I am normal, but at least we’ve put down a marker for the end of the experiment.
These tests assess attention, concentration, memory and my executive functions, i.e. problem solving and decision making. The theory is that sleep deprivation will make these processes sloooower.
The tests were:
- Visual memory: copy a complicated geometric drawing, then draw it from memory immediately, then draw it from memory again 30 minutes later.
- Trail making: point to numbers on a piece of paper in numerical order, then with the letters of the alphabet and numbers in alternation (1, A, 2, B etc)
- Zoo map: trace a route through the zoo following various rules and injunctions.
- Wechster memory scale: listen to a story and then repeat it back, marked for story details and themes. Then retell 20 minutes later.
- Verbal fluency: name as many animals as possible, then as many words beginning with ‘F’ in one minute.
- Verbal paired associates: given pairs of nouns, e.g. Elephant, Glasses, then have to produce the pair when given its other half immediately and then again after 45 minutes.
- Letter number sequencing: given numbers and letter jumbled up, then have to sort them and repeat back in numerical and alphabetical order.
- Digit span: given sequences of numbers, then have to repeat them back in the same order as given. Then more sequences of numbers, but repeated backwards.
My results were:
- Immediate reproduction with no mistakes; 30 minute delay with 4 mistakes.
- Numerical order: 16.24s; Numerical and alphabetical order: 33.65s
- Successfully completed in: 1:46.29s
- Logical memory test 1a: 13/25 story units; 6/7 thematic units. After a delay: 10/25 story units; 6/7 thematic units. Logical memory test 1b: 14/25 story units; 7/8 thematic units. With a second reading of the story: 19/25 story units; 7/8 thematic units. After a delay: 19/25 story units; 8/8 thematic units
- Animals: 40; F words: 23
- 100% recall immediately and after 45 minutes
- 13/21 sequences correct.
- 8/16 sequences correct; 7/14 backward sequences correct.
We will test these again at the end of the experiment to see how many of my brain cells have died.