Normative data for tests of visuo-spatial, visuo-constructional skills, and visual memory for Spanish-speaking adults in the United States

Issue title: Newly Developed Neuropsychological Norms for the Evaluation of Spanish-Speaking Adults in the United States

Guest editors: Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla and Diego Rivera

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Morel Valdés, Gloria M.^a | Rivera, Diego^{b; c} | Olabarrieta-Landa, Laiene^{b; c} | Carrión, Carmen I.^d | Lequerica, Anthony H.^{e; f} | Maltez, Fatima Iyarit^g | Rodriguez, Miriam J.^{h; i} | Dini, Mia E.^j | Munoz, Geovani^k | Usuga, Daniela Ramos^l | Drago, Christin I.^{m; n} | García, Patricia^o | Rivera, Patricia M.^p | Perrin, Paul B.^{q; j} | Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos^{r; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA | [b] Department of Health Science, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain | [c] Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain | [d] Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA | [e] Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Kessler Foundation, East Hanover, NJ, USA | [f] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA | [g] The Chicago School, Los Angeles, CA, USA | [h] Clinical Psychology Program, Carlos Albizu University, Miami Campus, Miami, FL, USA | [i] Department of Health and Wellness Design, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA | [j] Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA | [k] Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA | [l] Biomedical Research Doctorate Program, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain | [m] Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA | [n] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA | [o] Private Practice, Global Wellness LLC, Miami-Dade, FL, USA | [p] Mental Health Department – Neuropsychology, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, OR, USA | [q] School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA | [r] Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla, PhD, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. E-mail: jcalasprilla@gmail.com.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) are commonly used in clinical practice. The ROCFT measures constructional praxis, visual perception, and visuospatial learning and memory, and the CDT assesses for visuospatial, constructional, and executive difficulties. Several neurological disorders are associated with visuospatial and visuo-constructional impairments, yet reliable normative data accounting for sociodemographic and acculturative variables are scarce for Hispanics living in the U.S. OBJECTIVE:To generate normative data for the ROCFT and CDT in a Spanish-speaking adult population living in the U.S. METHODS:The sample consisted of 245 cognitively healthy adults recruited from several states in the U.S. Each participant was administered the ROCFT and CDT as part of a larger cognitive battery. The ROCFT and CDT were normed using a Bayesian approach. Age, age2, education, sex, acculturation, and language proficiency were included as predictors in the analyses. RESULTS:ROCFT performance was associated with education and age, particularly as they interacted with Spanish language proficiency and time spent in the U.S. Education was significantly associated with recall abilities and a lower memory recall on the ROCFT. Age was found to vary depending on a person’s bilingual abilities. Sex did not emerge as a predictor of performance, and it did not interact significantly with other variables. CONCLUSION:This is the first study to include acculturation and language proficiency variables in the creation of norms for the assessment of visuo-constructional abilities. This study will have a large impact on the practice of neuropsychology in the U.S.

Keywords: Rey figure, visuospatial, constructional, clock drawing test

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-240089

Journal: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 223-233, 2024