Updated demographically adjusted norms for the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-revised in Spanish-speakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region: The NP-NUMBRS project. Issue 2 (30th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Díaz-Santos, Mirella; Suárez, Paola A.; Marquine, María J.; Umlauf, Anya; Rivera Mindt, Monica; Artiola i Fortuny, Lidia; Heaton, Robert K.; Cherner, Mariana
• Is Part Of: Clinical neuropsychologist. Volume 35:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 374
• Page End: 395
• Publication Date: 2020-12-30
• Subjects: Spanish-speaking -- test norms -- demographic corrections -- learning -- memory; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; 612.805
• DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2020.1861329
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1385-4046

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: We generated demographically adjusted norms for the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised (BVMT-R) and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-revised (HVLT-R) for Spanish-speakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region as part of a larger normative project. Methods: Healthy native Spanish-speakers ( n = 203; Age: 19–60 years; Education: 0–20 years, 59% women) living in Arizona ( n = 63) and California ( n = 140) completed the BVMT-R and the HVLT-R as part of the larger Neuropsychological Norms for the U.S.-Mexico Border Region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) project. Raw scores were converted to T-scores utilizing fractional polynomial equations, which considered linear and non-linear effects of demographic variables (age, education, sex). To demonstrate the benefit of employing our population-specific norms, we computed the proportion of our participants whose test performance fell below one standard deviation (T-score < 40) when applying published norms from non-Hispanic English-speakers, compared to the base rate derived from the new normative sample. Results: The resulting demographically adjusted T-scores showed the expected psychometric properties and corrected the misclassification in rates of impairment that were obtained when applying norms based on the English-speaking sample. Unexpectedly, participants in Arizona obtained slightly lower HVLT-R T-scores than those in California. This site effect was not explained by available sociodemographic or language factors. Supplementary formulas were computed adjusting for site in addition to demographics. Conclusions: These updated norms improve accuracy in identification of learning and memory impairment among Spanish-speaking adults living in the U.S.-Mexico border region. It will be important to generate additional data for elders, as the present norms are only applicable to adults age 60 and younger.