Normative Study of the Literacy Independent Cognitive Assessment in Illiterate and Literate Elderly Koreans

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide normative data on the Literacy Independent Cognitive Assessment (LICA) and to explore the effects of age, education/literacy, and gender on the performance of this test. METHODS: Eight hundred and eighty-eight healthy elderly subjects, including 164 healthy illiterate subjects, participated in this study. None of the participants had serious medical, psychiatric, or neurological disorders including dementia. Bivariate linear regression analyses were performed to examine the effects of age, education/literacy, and sex on the score in each of the LICA cognitive tests. The normative scores for each age and education/literacy groups are presented. RESULTS: Bivariate linear regression analyses revealed that total score and all cognitive tests of the LICA were significantly influenced by both age and education/literacy. Younger and more-educated subjects outperformed older and illiterate or less-educated subjects, respectively, in all of the tests. The normative scores of LICA total score and subset score were presented according to age (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-80, and > or =80 years) and educational levels (illiterate, and 0-3, 4-6, and > or =7 years of education). CONCLUSION: These results on demographic variables suggest that age and education should be taken into account when attempting to accurately interpret the results of the LICA cognitive subtests. These normative data will be useful for clinical interpretations of the LICA neuropsychological battery in illiterate and literate elderly Koreans. Similar normative studies and validations of the LICA involving different ethnic groups will help to enhance the dementia diagnosis of illiterate people of different ethnicities.

Estudo normativo para o Sistema Compreensivo do Rorschach / Normative study of Rorschach Comprehensive System / Estudio normativo para el Sistema Comprehensivo del Rorschach

Este artigo mostra resultados de uma pesquisa para realizar a estatística descritiva das variáveis que compõem o sistema de codificação do Sistema Compreensivo, de indivíduos adultos não-pacientes, de cidades do interior e do litoral do Estado de São Paulo. Apresenta também um estudo comparativo de algumas variáveis com os resultados da capital do estado. A amostra é composta por 209 protocolos de Rorschach, de participantes adultos, com características variadas. Foi realizado um estudo do índice de concordância entre os diferentes codificadores que indicaram resultados muito favoráveis. A estatística descritiva e os testes de comparação entre as médias de algumas variáveis mostraram semelhanças e diferenças com os da capital. Essas semelhanças e diferenças nem sempre aconteceram no sentido que esperávamos. Como exemplo, podemos citar o nível de estresse que é tão alto nas cidades do interior quanto os resultados encontrados na capital do estado.

This article presents the results of research with nonpatient adults used to perform descriptive statistics of the variables that compose the coding system of the Comprehensive System of countryside and coastal cities of the State of São Paulo, in Brazil. It also presents a comparative study of some variables with the results of the capital of State. The sample is comprised of 209 adults Rorschach protocols with varied characteristics. A study of integrated reliability among examiners was performed and indicated very favorable results. The descriptive statistics and comparison tests between some variables showed similarities and differences with those from the capital although they did not always occur in the manner in which we had expected. As an illustration, we can mention the level of stress that is as high in the cities of the interior (coastal and countryside) as the results founded in the capital of the state.

Este artículo presenta resultados de una investigación para realizar estadísticas descriptivas de variables que componen el sistema de codificación del sistema integral de personas adultas no pacientes, en ciudades en el interior y de la costa del Estado de São Paulo, en Brasil. También presenta un estudio comparativo de algunas variables con los resultados de la capital del Estado. La muestra está compuesta por protocolos de Rorschach, 209 de adultos participantes con características variadas. Fue realizado un estudio de índice de correlación entre diferentes codificadores que indican resultados muy favorables. Los resultados de estadísticas descriptivas y análisis comparativos entre algunas variables mostraron similitudes y diferencias con los de la capital. Esas similitudes y diferencias no ocurrieran siempre en el sentido de que se esperaba. Como ejemplo, podemos mencionar que el nivel de estrés es tan alto en las ciudades del interior como los resultados encontrados en la capital del estado.

Desempenho médio de crianças e adolescentes no Método de Rorschach Sistema Compreensivo / Average performance of children and adolescents in the Rorschach Comprehensive System / Desempeño promedio de niños y adolescentes en el Método Rorschach Sistema Comprehensivo

Este estudo apresenta o desempenho de 201 crianças e adolescentes não pacientes, com idades variando de 5 a 14 anos, separados em 3 grupos etários, submetidos ao Método Rorschach Sistema Compreensivo (SC). Os participantes foram selecionados aleatoriamente a partir de escolas públicas e particulares das 9 regiões de Goiânia-GO. No total foram 8 examinadores, com no mínimo 120 horas de treino de administração, codificação e interpretação do Rorschach SC, que contribuíram com a coleta de 21 a 31 protocolos cada um deles. A codificação dos protocolos foi realizada por dois juízes. A análise dos resultados compreende: a avaliação das diferenças entre os examinadores; a concordância entre juízes e levantamento dos dados sociodemográficos dos participantes; estatística descritiva das variáveis do Rorschach. A discussão dos resultados considerou as diferenças entre os três grupos etários e, ao final, foram feitas algumas considerações para futuros estudos normativos com crianças e adolescentes.

This study presents the performance of 201 children and adolescent non-patients, aged 5-14 years, divided into three age groups, submitted to the Rorschach Comprehensive System Method (SC). Participants were randomly selected from public and private schools of the nine regions of the city of Goiânia-GO. In total there were eight examiners, who had at least 120 hours of training in scoring, and interpretation of Rorschach CS, and each of them contributed to the administration of 21-31 protocols. The coding of the protocols was conducted by two judges. The analysis includes the following information: evaluation of the differences across the examiners and interpreter agreement, the collection of participants’ demographic data, descriptive statistics of the Rorschach variables. The discussion considered the differences among the three age groups, and, finally, some considerations were made for future normative studies with children and adolescents.

Este estudio presenta los resultados de 201 niños(as) y adolescentes no pacientes, con edades entre 5 a 14 años, divididos en 3 grupos etarios, sometidos el Rorschach Sistema Comprehensivo (SC). Los participantes fueron seleccionados al azar a partir de escuelas públicas y particulares de 9 regiones de Goiânia-GO. En total fueron 8 examinadores, con un mínimo de 120 horas de entrenamiento en codificación e interpretación del Rorschach SC, que contribuyeron con la aplicación de 21-31 protocolos cada uno. La codificación de los protocolos fue llevada a cabo por dos jueces. Los resultados incluyen: la evaluación de las diferencias entre los examinadores; el acuerdo entre los jueces y el levantamiento de los datos sociodemográficos de los participantes; estadística descriptiva de las variables del Rorschach. La discusión considera las diferencias entre los tres grupos de edad y, al final, algunas consideraciones fueron hechas para futuros estudios normativos con niños y adolescentes.

Carpal tunnel syndrome in the elderly: nerve conduction parameters / Síndrome do túnel do carpo em idosos: parâmetros de condução nervosa

Objective: To establish nerve conduction parameters for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) electrodiagnosis in the elderly. Method: Thirty healthy subjects (65-86 years), 9 male and 21 female, were studied. Routine median and ulnar sensory and motor nerve conduction studies, median mixed palmar latency, comparative latency techniques median to ulnar (sensory, mixed and motor lumbrical-interossei), median to radial (sensory), and combined sensory index (CSI) were performed in both hands. Results: The upper limits of normality (97.5 percent) were: median sensory distal latency 3.80 ms (14 cm); median motor distal latency 4.30 ms (8 cm); median palmar latency 2.45 ms (8 cm); lumbrical-interossei latency difference 0.60 ms (8 cm); comparative median to radial 0.95 ms (10 cm); comparative median to ulnar 0.95 ms (14 cm); comparative palmar median to ulnar 0.50 ms (8 cm); and CSI 2.20 ms. Sensory and mixed latencies were measured at peak. Conclusion: Our results establish new nerve conduction parameters for mild CTS electrodiagnosis in the elderly and will be helpful to reduce the number of false positive cases in this age.

Objetivo: Estabelecer parâmetros de condução nervosa para o eletrodiagnóstico da síndrome do túnel do carpo (STC) em idosos. Método: Foram estudadas 30 pessoas idosas (65-86 anos) saudáveis. Foi realizado estudo de condução nervosa sensitiva e motora rotineira dos nervos mediano e ulnar, latência palmar mista do mediano, técnicas de comparação de latências mediano-ulnar (sensitivo, misto e motor lumbrical-interósseo) e mediano-radial (sensitivo) e índice sensitivo combinado (ISC) em ambas as mãos. Resultados: Os limites superiores de normalidade, 97,5 por cento foram: latência distal sensitiva do mediano 3,80 ms (14 cm); latência distal motora do mediano 4,30 ms (8 cm), latência palmar do mediano 2,45 ms (8 cm), diferença de latência lumbrical-interósseo 0,60 ms (8 cm), comparação mediano-radial 0,95 ms (10 cm), comparação mediano-ulnar 0,95 ms (14 cm), comparação mediano-ulnar palmar 0,50 ms (8 cm) e ISC 2,20 ms. As latências sensitivas e mistas foram medidas no pico. Conclusão: Nossos resultados estabelecem novos valores de condução nervosa para o eletrodiagnóstico da STC leve em idosos.

A Normative Study of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and Its Short form(SMMSE-DS) in the Korean Elderly

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to present the normative information of the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and its short form (SMMSE-DS) in the Korean elderly. METHODS: The MMSE-DS was administered in a standardized manner to 1,008 healthy volunteers aged 60 years or over recruited from participants in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging or from volunteers in the National Dementia Screening and Registry Program. The SMMSE-DS was consisted of 13 items from the MMSE-DS based on the diagnostic accuracy of individual items for dementia. RESULTS: Age and educational level were found to have significant effect on the SMMSE-DS score, but sex was not. Based on this result, overlapping age normative table (60 to 74, 70 to 84, and 75 to 90 years of age) with 4 educational strata (0 to 3 years, 4 to 6 years, 7 to 12 years and 13 years and more) was developed for the SMMSE-DS. For resulting 12 normative units, 5 percentile, lower quartile, median, upper quartile, mean, standard deviation and -1.5standard deviation were calculated. CONCLUSION: The normative data from this study can be widely used as reference values to objectively interpret the MMSE-DS and SMMSE-DS scores of the Korean elderly.

A Normative Study of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and Its Short form(SMMSE-DS) in the Korean Elderly

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to present the normative information of the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and its short form (SMMSE-DS) in the Korean elderly. METHODS: The MMSE-DS was administered in a standardized manner to 1,008 healthy volunteers aged 60 years or over recruited from participants in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging or from volunteers in the National Dementia Screening and Registry Program. The SMMSE-DS was consisted of 13 items from the MMSE-DS based on the diagnostic accuracy of individual items for dementia. RESULTS: Age and educational level were found to have significant effect on the SMMSE-DS score, but sex was not. Based on this result, overlapping age normative table (60 to 74, 70 to 84, and 75 to 90 years of age) with 4 educational strata (0 to 3 years, 4 to 6 years, 7 to 12 years and 13 years and more) was developed for the SMMSE-DS. For resulting 12 normative units, 5 percentile, lower quartile, median, upper quartile, mean, standard deviation and -1.5standard deviation were calculated. CONCLUSION: The normative data from this study can be widely used as reference values to objectively interpret the MMSE-DS and SMMSE-DS scores of the Korean elderly.