PGI Memory Scale (PGIMS)

Introduction
The PGI Memory Scale (PGIMS) stands for Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and
Research Memory Scale. It is a psychological assessment tool developed to evaluate various aspects
of memory functioning, particularly in clinical settings. The scale is widely used to assess the
memory of the individual, cognitive impairments, and inform treatment plans for individuals with
memory-related issues (Pershad & Wig, 1977).
Psychiatrists, neurologists, and clinical psychologists working in India have long felt the
need for a short, simple, objective, and valid test of memory. PGIMS was developed by the
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, India. It was
constructed and standardized in 1977. The scale was developed by Dwarka Pershad and N. N. Wig.
The PGI Memory Scale has become a popular memory scale throughout India and replaced the
Boston Memory Scale and Wechsler Memory Scale at both the premier institutes of psychiatry—
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, and Central Institute of
Psychiatry, Ranchi (Tiwari, 2021).
The PGIMS is also used as a part of PGIBBD (PGI Battery of Brain Dysfunction), a
neuropsychological test proposed to quantify cognitive dysfunction, impairment, decline, or deficit
for clinical purposes. It helps evaluate the extent of decline or loss in cognitive areas due to illness,
accident, injury, or natural calamities. It also aids in planning rehabilitative strategies, assisting the
judiciary in decisions regarding compensation, planning training or treatment, and evaluating the
outcomes of treatment or management (Behura & Swain, 2015).
Background and History
The PGI Memory Scale (PGIMS) was developed in 1977 at the Postgraduate Institute of
Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, by Professor N. N. Wig and Dwarka
Pershad. Professor Wig (1930–2018), a pioneering figure in Indian psychiatry, was the founding
head of PGIMER’s Department of Psychiatry from 1963 to 1980, establishing it as Asia’s first WHO
Collaborating Centre for Mental Health in 1976. Over his distinguished career, he made seminal
contributions to psychiatric research, education, and community mental health, including work on
culture-bound syndromes such as Dhat syndrome and the development of rural mental health
programmes.
His vision and clinical expertise were central to the conceptualization and validation of the
PGIMS. Dwarka Pershad, though less widely documented in public sources, was equally
instrumental in the test’s creation—leading the design, item selection, and psychometric
standardization. Together, their collaboration produced a culturally sensitive, reliable, and practical
tool for assessing memory functions across diverse Indian populations, which remains in use in
clinical and research settings to this day.
Development of the Test
The PGI Memory Scale (PGIMS) was developed in 1977 by Dwarka Pershad and N. N. Wig
at PGIMER, Chandigarh. It was designed as a comprehensive and objective tool to assess various
aspects of memory, including remote, recent, and immediate recall, using 10 subtests. The scale was
standardized for Indian populations, particularly those aged 20–45, and has been validated against
neurological and psychiatric conditions.
The PGIMS was constructed and standardized to assess memory functions in individuals. It
consists of 10 subtests that measure various aspects of memory, including:
1. Remote Memory: Ability to remember personal/historical events of the past
2. Recent Memory: Ability to remember relatively new information
3. Mental Balance: Temporal sequencing and problem-solving skills
4. Attention and Recall: Ability to focus and recall information
5. Recognition: Ability to recognize previously encountered information
Revisions
The PGI Memory Scale (PGIMS) has not undergone major published revisions, but its use
has evolved through adaptations and research validations. While no formal revised edition has been
published, practitioners and researchers have occasionally adapted the test for specific populations
(e.g., elderly, children, or clinical groups) or translated it into regional languages.
Purpose of the Test
The PGIMS is designed to assess memory across multiple domains like:
Assessment of Memory Functions. The primary purpose of the PGIMS is to measure memory
capacity across various domains. Memory is not a single unitary process but involves different
types. The test evaluates all these aspects in a structured way.
Clinical Diagnosis. Memory disturbances are a core feature of many psychiatric and neurological
conditions such as dementia, schizophrenia, epilepsy, head injuries, and depression. The PGIMS
helps in identifying the nature and extent of memory deficits, which aids in accurate diagnosis.
Treatment Planning. Once the memory profile of a patient is known, clinicians can tailor
rehabilitation strategies. For instance, a patient with weak recent memory but intact remote memory
may be guided differently from one with deficits in both.
Research Purpose. PGIMS is widely used in psychological and medical research in India. It allows
researchers to study how memory is influenced by age, education, personality, mental illness, or
brain injury.
Culturally Appropriate Tool. Many psychological tests developed in Western contexts do not fully
capture memory performance in Indian populations due to cultural and language differences. PGIMS
was specifically designed with Indian norms, making it more suitable and valid in the local context.
Subtests of PGIMS
The PGIMS is a comprehensive memory scale consisting of multiple subtests. Each subtest
measures a specific dimension of memory functioning. Collectively, they provide a detailed memory
profile of the individual. These dimensions are:
1. Remote Memory. Ability to recall information from the distant past, such as personal events,
childhood memories, or historical facts. Useful in detecting conditions like amnesia or dementia.
2. Recent Memory. Ability to recall events or information from the immediate past (hours or days).
Deficits here are common in head injury, Korsakoff’s syndrome, or old age.
3. Mental Balance. Tests the ability to maintain attention, concentration, and mental alertness.
This indirectly contributes to memory efficiency.
4. Attention and Concentration. Since attention is the gateway to memory, subtests measure
sustained and selective attention. Deficits may occur in ADHD, schizophrenia, or anxiety.
5. Immediate Recall. Ability to repeat numbers, words, or short sentences immediately after
hearing them. Measures short-term memory capacity.
6. Verbal Retention for Similar and Dissimilar Pairs Tests association-based memory by asking
individuals to remember pairs of words. Shows how well a person can form meaningful links
and retain them.
7. Visual Retention. Involves recalling or recognizing visual patterns or figures. Useful in
identifying memory deficits linked to brain damage.
8. Recognition. Ability to identify previously presented material among new stimuli. Reflects
retention strength and helps differentiate between recall and recognition deficits.
9. Delayed Recall. Ability to reproduce information after a time gap. Important in diagnosing early
signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
10. Retention of Disarranged Words. Tests memory and logical sequencing abilities by asking the
subject to rearrange words into meaningful sentences.
Applications
The PGI Memory Scale has versatile applications across clinical, legal, and research
domains.
• Clinical Neuropsychology. PGIMS is used to assess memory deficits in psychiatric and
neurological conditions such as schizophrenia, dementia, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. It
helps clinicians identify specific memory impairments and tailor rehabilitation strategies
accordingly.
• Medico-Legal Evaluations. As part of the PGIBBD battery, PGIMS is used to quantify cognitive
decline for legal purposes. It assists the judiciary in determining compensation and legal
responsibility based on cognitive functioning (Behura & Swain, 2015).
• Rehabilitation Planning. PGIMS results guide the development of individualized cognitive
rehabilitation programs, helping patients regain lost functions or adapt to deficits.
• Academic and Clinical Research. The scale is also extensively used in studies exploring the
effects of age, education, mental illness, and brain injury on memory. Its cultural relevance makes
it a preferred tool in Indian psychological research.
• Training and Outcome Evaluation. PGIMS is also used to monitor progress in cognitive training
programs and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
 References
Behura, S. S., & Swain, S. P. (2015). Neuropsychological assessment in clinical practice: PGI
battery of brain dysfunction. Odisha Journal of Psychiatry, 1(1), 1–6.
Pershad, D., & Wig, N. N. (1977). Post Graduate Institute Memory Scale (PGIMS). Postgraduate
Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
Tiwari, S. C. (2021). Cognitive assessment tools in India: A review. Indian Journal of Psychiatry,
63(2), 101–108.
Wig, N. N. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from entry on N. N. Wig.