P.G.I.

MEMORY SCALE

INTRODUCTION

Memory is defined as the process of maintaining information over time (Matlin, 2005) or
Memory is the means by which people draw on their past experiences in order to use this
information in the present (Sternberg, 1999).

Stages of memory involve encoding, storage and retrieval. Encoding is the crucial first step to
creating a new memory. It allows the perceived item of interest to be converted into a con-
struct that can be stored within the brain, and then recalled later. There are three main ways in
which information can be encoded. Visual, semantic and acoustic. Visual encoding is the
process of encoding images and visual sensory information. Visual sensory information is
temporarily stored within the iconic memory before being encoded into long-term storage.
Semantic encoding is the process of encoding sensory input that has particular meaning or
can be applied to a particular context, rather than deriving from a particular sense. Acoustic
encoding is to processing and encoding of sound, words and other auditory input for storage
and later retrieval. This is aided by the concept of the phonological loop, which allows input
within our echoic memory to be sub-vocally rehearsed in order to facilitate remembering.
Storage is the more or less passive process of retaining information. Retrieval is the process
of getting the information out of memory. There are basically two main types of retrieval;
recognition and recall. Recognition is the process of matching a fact or concept with one al-
ready in memory. Mainly there are three different types of memory. Sensory memory, short
term memory and long-term memory. Sensory Memory is a very brief (about three seconds)
recall of a sensory experience, such as what one just saw or heard. The duration of STM
seems to be between 15and 30 seconds, and the capacity about 7 items. The Magic number 7
(plus or minus two) provides evidence for the capacity of short-term memory. Most adults
can store between 5 and 9 items in their short-term memory. This idea was put forward by
Miller (1956) and he called it the magic number. Baddeley and Hitch (1974) have developed
an alternative model of short-term memory which they call working memory. Theoretically,
the capacity of long-term memory could be unlimited, the main constraint on recall being ac-
cessibility rather than availability. Duration might be a few minutes or a lifetime. One of the
earliest and most influential distinctions of long-term memory was proposed by Tulving
(1972). He proposed a distinction between episodic, semantic and procedural memory. Proce-
dural memory is a part of the long-term memory is responsible for knowing how to do things,
i.e. memory of motor skills. Semantic memory is a part of the long-term memory responsible
for storing information about the world. This includes knowledge about the meaning of
words, as well as general knowledge. Episodic memory is a part of the long-term memory re-
sponsible for storing information about events (i.e. episodes) that we have experienced in our
lives. It involves conscious thought and is declarative. An example would be a memory of
first day at school.
The psychiatrists, neurologists and clinical psychologists working in India have long felt the
need for a short simple, objective and valid test of memory. Such a battery of memory test is
P.G.I. Memory Scale and it was constructed and standardized in 1977. The scale was devel-
oped by Dwarka Prasad and N.N. Wig. It contains ten subtests: 1) Remote memory, 2) Re-
cent memory, 3) Mental balance, 4) Attention concentration, 5) Delayed recall, 6) Immediate
recall,7) Retention for similar pairs 8) Retention for dissimilar pairs, 9) Visual retention and
10) Recognition. While constructing memory scale, efforts were made to ensure that it was
not unduly dependent on intelligence and was equally valid for both sexes and applicable and
acceptable to illiterate and unsophisticated subjects who constituted majority of subjects in
Indian hospitals and clinics. Since the inception of PGIMS, a number of studies have pub-
lished in the journals showing its usability in varied fields of research.

Method

Experimenter Date

Subject Time
Aim
To assess the memory of the individual with the help of P.G.I. Memory Scale.

Plan
The PGI Memory Scale has to be administered to the subject, the responses have to be scored
and interpreted using norms.

Materials:
1. Consumable booklet of P.G.I. Memory Scale (English version).
2. Revised manual for P.G.I. Memory Scale.
3. Paper and pencil.

Procedure

Seat the subject in a comfortably peaceful and ventilated room, establish a good rapport with
the subject. The subject is given instructions for every subtest and is asked for any doubts and
clarifications.

Instructions

Remote test and Recent Memory

Mental balance.

1.“Recite A to Z “
2.”Count backward from 20 to 1”
3.Counting backward by misusing 3 s starting from 40.

Attention and concentration

Delayed recall.

‘I am going to read the name of some objects, listen carefully and when I ask you to repeat,
you will do so’. The objects were read at the rate of one word per second and the subject is
asked to repeat it after an interval of one minute.

Immediate recall,

“I will read few small sentences one by one and you have to repeat the whole sentence as
precisely as you can”.

Verbal retention for similar pairs and disimilar pairs

‘I am going to read a list of pairs, i.e., two words at a time. Listen carefully, when I name
one word of the pair you will tell the second word of the pair;after reading the last pair, I will
ask tell the first pair, then you have to tell the next pair.”

Visual retention

“I will show a card and after 15 seconds it will be aken away and after 30 seconds, I will ask
you to draw the things you saw in the card on a sheet of paper.

Recognition.

‘I am showing you a card containing pictures of many objects, see the whole card attentively
(expose for 30 seconds). After some time (120 seconds) I will place before you another card.
From this you will be required to identify and name the objects you saw in earlier card. (Do
not tell the subject, the exact number of objects seen in first card and how many things she is
yet to identify).

Precautions

1. Make sure that the subject has understood the instructions.

Analysis of results
Subtest 1 & 2 one score for each correct response. Maximum total scores will be 6 & 5, re-
spectively. Subtest 3 Alphabet and counting Backward 3 scores if all correct within 15 sec-
onds, 2 if take longer than 15 seconds, 1 if there is one mistake or omission, separately for al -
phabet and backward counting. Counting backward by 3’s 3 scores if all correct within 30
seconds, 2 if take longer than 30 seconds, 1 if there is one mistake or omission. Subtest 4
summation of digits forward and backward is the score.Subtest 5 one score for each word
correctly recalled (total 10).Subtest 6 one score for each clause correctly reproduced (maxi-
mum score 12).Subtest 7 one score for each correct reproduction of the associated word of
the pair (total5).Subtest 8 one score for each for the correctly reproduced pair, separately for
each trial. Summation of scores on three trials is the score (total 15).Subtest 9- one score for
each type of geometrical figure correctly reproduced in sequence and number.Thus card 1 to
3, 2 scores each, card 4, 3 scores and card 5, 4 scores (total 13).Subtest 10- each object cor-
rectly recognized and named is to be given a score of one. Number of wrong identified ob-
jects are to be deducted from the earned score (total 10). The raw score for each subtests are
calculated and then interpreted with the help of percentile range with the the help of norms.

Individual table showing the scores of the subject for ten sub-tests of PGI Memory Scale

Name of the Sub-test Raw Score Percentile Interpretation

Remote memory

Recent memory

Mental balance

Attention and Concentration

Delayed recall

Immediate recall

Verbal retention for similar pairs

Verbal retention for dissimilar pairs

Visual retention

Recognition

TOTAL

Discussion

Conclusion
Applications

1. The scale provides a brief and valid and easy to use model for clinicians to assess for mem-
ory deficits.
2. It can also be used as a pre post measure of memory to change the therapy modalities.