Neuropsychological test performance in Aruaco Indians: An exploratory study

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 510-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALFREDO ARDILA ◽  
SONIA MORENO
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Concept Formation ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Ability Test ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Cultural Assessment

A sample of 20 right-handed Aruaco Indians (12 male, 8 female; age 8–30 years) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia) participated in this study. A brief neuropsychological test battery (visuoconstructive and visuoperceptual abilities, memory, ideomotor praxis, verbal fluency, spatial abilities, concept formation) was individually administered. In addition, a handedness questionnaire was included. In some neuropsychological tests performance was virtually perfect (Recognition of Overlapped Figures and Ideomotor Praxis Ability test), whereas performance in other tests was impossible (e.g., Block Design using a time limit). It was proposed that two types of variables were significantly affecting performance: (1) educational level; and (2) cultural relevance. Some tests appeared significant and meaningful whereas others were meaningless and even impossible to understand. The appropriateness of current neuropsychological instruments for cross-cultural assessment is discussed. (JINS, 2001, 7, 510–515.)

African American acculturation and neuropsychological test performance following traumatic brain injury

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 566-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHAN KENNEPOHL ◽  
DOUGLAS SHORE ◽  
NINA NABORS ◽  
ROBIN HANKS
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
African American ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
The Impact

The present study examined the influence of African American acculturation on the performance of neuropsychological tests following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seventy one participants already enrolled in a larger-scale study assessing the impact of TBI (i.e., the South Eastern Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems project) completed a self-report measure of African American acculturation (African American Acculturation Scale–Short Form; Landrine & Klonoff, 1995) in addition to a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between level of acculturation and test performance after controlling for injury-related (initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, time since injury) and demographic variables (age, sex, years of education, and socioeconomic status). Lower levels of acculturation were associated with significantly poorer performances on the Galveston Orientation & Amnesia Test, MAE Tokens test, WAIS–R Block Design, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Decreased levels of acculturation were also significantly related to lower scores on a composite indicator of overall neuropsychological test performance. In addition, the examiner's ethnicity (Black or White) was related with scores on a few of the tests (i.e., Block Design, Trail Making Test), but was not significantly associated with the overall neuropsychological test performance. Overall, these findings suggest that differences in cultural experience may be an important factor in the neuropsychological assessment of African Americans following TBI, and provide additional support for the hypothesis that cultural factors may partially account for the differences among ethnic/cultural groups on neuropsychological tests. (JINS, 2004,10, 566–577.)

Neuropsychological Test Performance in Framingham: A Descriptive Study

1987 ◽  
Vol 60 (3_part_2) ◽  
pp. 1023-1040
Author(s):  
Mary E. Farmer ◽  
Lon R. White ◽  
Steven J. Kittner ◽  
Edith Kaplan ◽  
Elizabeth Moes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Abstract Thinking ◽  
Framingham Study ◽  
Hearing Impairments

In 1976–1978, a battery of eight neuropsychologic tests was administered to 2,123 participants in the Framingham Study aged 55 to 89 yr. The battery was designed to sample multiple areas of cognitive function including language skills, memory, learning, reproduction of designs, attention, and abstract thinking. Performance is described for several groups in this population: a large community-dwelling sample, those with hearing impairments, and those with documented strokes. Performance is described by age, sex, and education strata for the community sample. This normative information should be useful for interpreting individual test performance on neuropsychological tests.

The effect of African-American acculturation on neuropsychological test performance in normal and HIV-positive individuals

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER J. MANLY ◽  
S. WALDEN MILLER ◽  
ROBERT K. HEATON ◽  
DESIREE BYRD ◽  
JUDY REILLY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Black English ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Linguistic Behavior

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship of acculturation to neuropsychological test performance among (1) medically healthy, neurologically normal African Americans (N = 170); and (2) HIV positive (HIV+) subgroups of African Americans and Whites (Ns = 20) matched on age, education, sex, and HIV disease stage. Acculturation was measured through self report for all participants, and linguistic behavior (Black English use) was assessed in a subset of medically healthy individuals (N = 25). After controlling for the effects of age, education, and sex, medically healthy African Americans who reported less acculturation obtained lower scores on the WAIS–R Information subtest and the Boston Naming Test than did more acculturated individuals. Black English use was associated with poor performance on Trails B and the WAIS–R Information subtest. HIV+ African Americans scored significantly lower than their HIV+ White counterparts on the Category Test, Trails B, WAIS–R Block Design and Vocabulary subtests, and the learning components of the Story and Figure Memory Tests. However, after accounting for acculturation, ethnic group differences on all measures but Story Learning became nonsignificant. These results suggest that there are cultural differences within ethnic groups that relate to neuropsychological test performance, and that accounting for acculturation may improve the diagnostic accuracy of certain neuropsychological tests. (JINS, 1998, 4, 291–302.)

scholarly journals Neuropsychology of Illiteracy

1993 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rosselli
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Hemispheric Dominance ◽  
Brain Pathology ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Cognitive Sequelae

It is proposed that analysis of illiteracy can not only discern the influence of schooling background on neuropsychological test performance, but also contributes to obtaining a better understanding about the cerebral organization of cognitive activity. Brain organization of cognition, and cognitive sequelae of brain pathology in illiterates are reviewed. It is concluded that: (1) cognitive abilities, as measured by standard neuropsychological tests, are significantly influenced by schooling background; and (2) educational and cultural variables may affect the degree (albeit, not the direction) of hemispheric dominance for language, and other cognitive abilities. A more bilateral representation of cognitive abilities in illiterates is hypothesized.

scholarly journals Adolescent Heavy Episodic Drinking: Neurocognitive Functioning during Early Abstinence

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Winward ◽  
Karen L. Hanson ◽  
Nicole M. Bekman ◽  
Susan F. Tapert ◽  
Sandra A. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Performance Deficits ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
5Th Grade ◽  
Cognitive Switching

AbstractThe present study investigated the rate and pattern of neuropsychological recovery in heavy episodic drinking teens during the initial days to weeks of abstinence from alcohol. Adolescents (ages, 16–18 years) with histories of heavy episodic drinking (HED; N = 39) and socio-demographically similar control teens (CON; N = 26) were recruited from San Diego area schools. HED and CON were comparable on 5th grade standardized math and language arts test performance to ensure similar functioning before onset of substance use. Participants were administered three neuropsychological test batteries with 2-week intervals during a 4-week monitored abstinence period. HED teens performed worse overall than CON on tests of prospective memory (p = .005), cognitive switching (p = .039), inhibition task accuracy (p = .001), verbal memory (p's < .045), visuospatial construction (p's < .043), and language and achievement (p's < .008). The statistically significant group × time interaction for block design demonstrated normalization within the 4 weeks of abstinence for the HED (p = .009). This study identified cognitive performance deficits associated with heavy episodic drinking in adolescence during early abstinence and with sustained 4-week abstention. These findings suggest alcohol-related influences on several underlying brain systems that may predate the onset of alcohol abuse or dependence or take longer than 4 weeks to recover. (JINS, 2014, 20, 218–229)

scholarly journals Verbal Fluency Test in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 095-099
Author(s):  
Esteban Vaucheret Paz ◽  
Celeste Puga ◽  
Christy Ekonen ◽  
Paula Pintos ◽  
Isabel Lascombes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Scale Score ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Verbal Fluency Test ◽  
Fluency Test

Abstract Background The verbal fluency task is a widely used psychometric test to account for cognitive functions, particularly, verbal and executive functions. Being an easy and fast test to administer, it is a good neuropsychological tool in low technology environments. Our objective was to analyze the performance in verbal fluency of Spanish-speaking children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study to analyze the performance of children who had undergone a verbal fluency test in a neuropsychological assessment. Results We included 115 participants. There were 41 (35.65%) participants with low intellectual performance (LIP), 63 (54.78%) with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and 11(9.57%) participants with dyslexia. Participants with LIP showed lower phonological and semantic fluency scores than participants with ADHD, and a lower performance in semantic fluency than the dyslexia group. The probability of having LIP was 6.12 times greater when somebody had a scale score lower than 7 in the phonological task and it was 7.9 times greater when the scale score was lower than 7 in the semantic task. Conclusion There was a direct relationship between Full Scale Intelligence Quotient and verbal fluency test performance, the latter being a brief and effective neuropsychological test that can reveal deficit not only in executive functions and verbal abilities but also detect LIP.

scholarly journals A cross-linguistic comparison of category verbal fluency test (ANIMALS): a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Ardila
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Linguistic Information ◽  
Verbal Fluency Test ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Fluency Test

Abstract Background Cross-linguistic information about performance in neuropsychological verbal tests is extremely scarce. It has been suggested that verbal fluency test using animal fluency test is one of the few tests fulfilling the fundamental criteria desirable in a robust neuropsychological test. Objective To compare and establish cross-linguistic information about performance in the animal fluency test. Results In an extensive search, it was found that norms for the semantic fluency test using the category ANIMALS are available in 15 different languages. These languages represent a relatively broad spectrum of world languages, including not only Indo-European languages, but also Semitic, Sino-Tibetan, Austroasiatic, Dravidian, and even Amerindian languages. Normative data in these 15 languages are analyzed and the results are compared. Conclusions It is concluded that (a) pure linguistic factors, such as type of language and word-length, seemingly do not significantly affect the performance in this test; (b) two major demographic variables—age and education—account for a significant percentage of the variance in this test; the effect of sex seems to be neglectable; (c) in bilinguals, when the native language has few speakers and/or is a marginalized language, a very low score can be observed in the native language, even lower than in the second language; (d) there is a frequently overlooked major factor accounting for differences in cognitive test performance: the effort made in performing the test. It depends on the significance given to the test performance. Effort is quite variable across cultures and is higher in psychometric-oriented societies.

Can Localised Brain Impairment Be Simulated on Neuropsychological Test Profiles?

1987 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Hayward ◽  
Wayne Hall ◽  
Michael Hunt ◽  
Stephen R. Zubrick
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
Cerebral Injury ◽  
Neurosurgical Patients ◽  
History Of ◽  
Test Profiles

We asked 28 registered nurses with varying degrees of experience in working with neurological and neurosurgical patients to fake results on 10 neuropsychological tests in such a way as to be congruent with a history of trauma to the left fronto-temporal cortex. We compared these data to those obtained from 21 patients who had been referred with verified cerebral injury and who had a diagnosis of left fronto-temporal dysfunction. The overall hit rate of classification for the two groups was 85.7% and 89.8%, depending on the way in which test scores were combined. Results showed that a knowledgeable group of informed fakers had great difficulty reproducing the test performance of individuals with left fronto-temporal impairment.

scholarly journals S-TOFHLA in mild Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment patients as a measure of functional literacy: Preliminary study

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maira Okada de Oliveira ◽  
Cláudia Sellitto Porto ◽  
Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Functional Evaluation ◽  
Crystallized Intelligence ◽  
Functional Illiteracy ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Vocabulary Subtest ◽  
Intellectual Level

Abstract The greatest difficulty in diagnosing cognitive loss in our population is the diversity of its education which has a broad spectrum ranging from illiteracy, functional illiteracy and different degrees of literacy, even in those with the same level of schooling. Objectives: To verify whether there is impairment on the S-TOFHLA among individuals with AD and MCI compared with healthy controls, and to compare performance on the S-TOFHLA performance with neuropsychological tests and the scores achieved on the Raven's Colored Matrices and Vocabulary and Block Design (WAIS-III) as a measure of estimated intellectual level. Methods: 59 subjects: controls (n=23; age 70.96±8.31y; schooling 10.2±5.87y; 6 men), MCI patients (n=11; age 74.18±8.12y; schooling 7.55±4.32y; 5 men) and AD patients (n=25; age 76.16±4.96y; schooling 7.32±4.78y; 10 men) were submitted to neuropsychological assessment, S-TOFHLA and functional evaluation. Results: Differences on BD, Raven and Estimated IQ were found between controls and MCI patients as well as controls and AD patients. On the S-TOFHLA, differences were found between MCI and AD patients, controls and AD patients, but not between control and MCI groups. S-TOFHLA performance correlated strongly with schooling and all neuropsychological tests, except Clock Drawing. Conclusions: The S-TOFHLA seems to be a useful measure for determining the level of literacy in MCI patients, but not in AD patients. S-TOFHLA performance was more closely associated with neuropsychological test scores than were years of education and seems to be a good predictor of level of literacy. The Vocabulary subtest proved to be uninfluenced by the disease process in early stages and preserved in both MCI and AD patients, showing that semantic memory and crystallized intelligence are preserved.

scholarly journals A Hypothesis-Generating Study Using Electrophysiology to Examine Cognitive Function in Colon Cancer Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Hughwa Hung ◽  
Sumeet Mutti Jaswal ◽  
Sarah Elizabeth Neil-Sztramko ◽  
Julia W Y Kam ◽  
Negin Niksirat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Change In Mean

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to describe the trajectory of cognitive function using neuropsychological tests and electrophysiological measures in individuals receiving 5FU/oxaliplatin chemotherapy for colon cancer. Methods A total of 10 participants were tested at baseline (within 3 weeks of starting chemotherapy), 6 months (coinciding with the end of chemotherapy treatment), and 12 months (approximately 6 months post-chemotherapy). Participants completed neuropsychological tests and electrophysiology recordings of P300 event-related potential (ERP) elicited by a sustained attention to response task paired with experience sampling of attentional states (subjective reports of on-task or mind wandering). Results No change in mean neuropsychological test performance was observed. Comparison of mean P300 ERP amplitudes as a function of attentional states (on-task vs. mind wandering) revealed no main effect of attentional state observed at baseline or 6 months, but a significant effect of attention was observed at 12 months, consistent with effects observed in healthy individuals. Conclusions Future studies can consider sustained attention constructs when studying cognitive function in colon cancer patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document