Multidisciplinary Cognitive Function Assessment of Good versus Poor Performance in Children with Cochlear Implants: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Introduction Despite the developing technology of cochlear implants (CIs), implanted prelingual hearing-impaired children exhibit variable speech processing outcomes. When these children match in personal and implant-related criteria, the CI outcome variability could be related to higher-order cognitive impairment. Objectives To evaluate different domains of cognitive function in good versus poor CI performers using a multidisciplinary approach and to find the relationship between these functions and different levels of speech processing. Methods This observational, cross-sectional study used the word recognition score (WRS) test to categorize 40 children with CIs into 20 good (WRS/65%) and 20 poor performers (WRS < 65%). All participants were examined for speech processing at different levels (auditory processing and spoken language) and cognitive functioning using (1) verbal tests (verbal component of Stanford-Binet intelligence [SBIS], auditory memory, auditory vigilance, and P300); and (2) performance tasks (performance components of SBIS, and trail making test). Results The outcomes of speech processing at different functional levels and both domains of cognitive function were analyzed and correlated. Speech processing was impaired significantly in poor CI performers. This group also showed a significant cognitive function deficit, in which the verbal abilities were more affected (in 93.5%) than in the good performers (in 69.5%). Moreover, cognitive function revealed a significant correlation and predictive effect on the CI speech outcomes. Conclusion Cognitive function impairment represented an important factor that underlies the variable speech proficiency in cochlear-implanted children. A multidisciplinary evaluation of cognitive function would provide a comprehensive overview to improve training strategies.

A Comparative Assessment of Comprehensive Trail Making Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Among Alcohol Dependence Patients

@#Introduction: Alcohol, when used frequently, accelerates the ageing process, causes brain damage, and results in a reduced volume of grey and white matter, leading to frontal lobe abnormalities. The neurotoxicity resulting from alcohol overuse affects the higher functions of the brain. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of alcohol dependence on the executive functioning of the brain. Methods: This study was carried out as a case-control study among 60 patients with alcohol dependence and 60 controls. Assessment of executive function was carried out using the Comprehensive trail-making test (CTMT) and the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST). Comparison between the alcohol dependence group and normal healthy controls were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test as data followed a non-parametric distribution. Results: The mean age of the participants among the cases and controls was 38.3±5.5 years and 37.8±5.4 years, respectively. The results showed a significant difference in both WCST and CTMT between cases and controls (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study concludes that there was an impaired performance in executive functions in alcohol- dependence patients in early abstinence compared to normal controls showing frontal lobe impairment in alcohol-dependence patients.

Brazilian norms and effects of age and education on the Hayling and Trail Making Tests / Normas brasileiras e efeitos de idade e escolaridade no Teste Hayling e no Teste de Trilhas

Abstract Objectives To describe normative data for the Hayling Test and the Trail Making Test (TMT) in a sample of Brazilian adults, and to investigate the effects of age and education on test performance. Method A total of 313 (TMT) and 364 (Hayling) individuals with age ranges of 19-39, 40-59, and 60-75 years, and with at least 5 years of formal education, participated in this study. The tests were administered as part of a large battery of a normative project. Individuals were evaluated individually in silent, ventilated rooms at a university clinic. Instrument protocols were scored by trained research assistants and double-checked to ensure data reliability. Results There were major effects of age on the TMT (Time B, Errors B, B-A) and on the Hayling Test (Errors B/15, B/45), and major effects of education on the TMT (Time B, Errors B, B-A) and on the Hayling Test (Time A, Errors B/15, B/45). Interaction effects were found in Time B and B-A for the Hayling Test and in Time A for the TMT. Conclusions Age and education were critical for performance on both verbal and non-verbal executive functions.

Resumo Objetivos Descrever dados normativos do Teste Hayling e do Teste de Trilhas em uma amostra de adultos brasileiros e investigar os efeitos de idade e escolaridade no desempenho das tarefas. Método Participaram deste estudo um total de 313 (TMT) e 364 (Hayling) indivíduos com idades nos intervalos de 19-39, 40-59 e 60-75 anos e com pelo menos 5 anos de escolaridade formal. Os testes foram administrados como parte de uma bateria maior de um projeto de normatização. Os indivíduos foram avaliados individualmente em salas silenciosas e ventiladas em uma clínica universitária. As pontuações dos protocolos foram realizadas por assistentes de pesquisa treinados e foram checadas duplamente para garantir a fidedignidade dos dados. Resultados Foram encontrados efeitos principais de idade no TMT (Tempo B, Erros B e Tempo B-A) e no Teste Hayling (Erros B/15 e B/45), e efeitos principais de educação no TMT (Tempo B, Erros B e Tempo B-A) e no Teste Hayling (Tempo A, Erros B/15 e B/45). Foram encontrados efeitos de interação entre variáveis nos Tempos B e B-A do Teste Hayling e no Tempo A do TMT. Conclusões Idade e escolaridade foram fatores críticos para o desempenho em ambos os testes verbal e não-verbal de avaliação das funções executivas.

A Comparison of Five Types of Trail Making Test in Korean Elderly

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previously developed Korean versions of the Trail Making Test (TMT) that replaced the English in part B, has been unsuccessful in Korea. The current study identifies the type of TMT tasks from the among multiple TMT versions, which practically and accurately detects the stage of cognitive decline. METHODS: We applied five TMT versions, which include the original TMT, TMT-Korean letter (TMT-KL), TMT-Korean consonant (TMT-KC), TMT-black and white (TMT-B&W), and TMT-square and circle (TMT-S&C). A total of 168 participants were enrolled: 42 cognitively normal controls (NC), 72 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 54 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Two sets of TMT (set "A" including TMT, TMT-KL and TMT-B&W, and set "B" including TMT, TMT-KC, and TMT-S&C) were randomly administered to subjects within the contact of a fixed neuropsychological battery. RESULTS: The completion times of TMT-B and TMT-B&W successfully distinguished NC from MCI and AD. TMT-B&W also showed a high correlation with other neuropsychological tests, and correlated well with the original TMT. The other TMT were frequently not successfully completed, nor could they differentiate the clinical groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among the five TMT tasks, the original TMT and the TMT-B&W appeared to be most sensitive to the degree of cognitive impairment. TMT-B&W showed a pattern consistent with the original TMT; thus, this measure may be optimal in Korean older adults, where familiarity with the English alphabet is questionable.

Performance of an adult Brazilian sample on the Trail Making Test and Stroop Test / Desempenho de uma amostra de adultos Brasileiros no Traill making test e Stroop Test

OBJECTIVE: The Trail Making Test (TMT) and Stroop Test (ST) are attention tests widely used in clinical practice and research. The aim of this study was to provide normative data for the adult Brazilian population and to study the influence of gender, age and education on the TMT parts A and B, and ST cards A, B and C. METHODS: We recruited 1447 healthy subjects aged ?18 years with an educational level of 0-25 years who were native speakers of Portuguese (Brazilian). The subjects were evaluated by the Matrix Reasoning and Vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III, along with the TMTA, TMTB and ST A, B and C. RESULTS: Among the participants, mean intellectual efficiency was 103.20 (SD:12.0), age 41.0 (SD:16.4) years and education 11.9 (SD:5.6) years. There were significant differences between genders on the TMTA (p=0.002), TMTB (p=0.017) and STC (p=0.024). Age showed a positive correlation with all attention tests, whereas education showed a negative correlation. Gender was not found to be significant on the multiple linear regression model, but age and education maintained their interference. CONCLUSION: Gender did not have the major impact on attentional tasks observed for age and education, both of which should be considered in the stratification of normative samples.

OBJETIVO: Os testes de atenção Trail Making Test (TMT) e Stroop Test (ST) são largamente usados na prática clínica e em pesquisas. O objetivo deste estudo foi fornecer informação normativa para a população brasileira de adultos e estudar a interferência de gênero, idade e educação no TMT parte A e B e no ST cartão A, B e C. MÉTODOS: Recrutamos 1447 sujeitos saudáveis com idade ?18 anos, nível educacional de 0-25 anos, falantes nativos do Português (Brasil). Os sujeitos foram avaliados pelos subtestes do Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Raciocínio Matricial e Vocabulários, além do TMTA, TMTB e ST A, B e C. RESULTADOS: Entre os participantes a média de eficiência intelectual foi de 103,20 (SD:12,0), de idade 41,0 (SD:16,4) anos e de escolaridade 11,9 (SD: 5,6) anos. Houve diferenças significantes por gênero em TMTA (p=0,002), TMTB (p=0,017) e STC (p=0,024). Idade se correlacionou de modo positivo com todos os testes de atenção, enquanto a escolaridade correlacionou-se de modo negativo. Após o modelo de regressão linear múltipla o gênero não manteve correlação significativa, mas idade e escolaridade mantiveram sua interferência. CONCLUSÃO: O gênero não mostrou grande impacto nas tarefas atencionais como a idade e escolaridade que devem, portanto, ser consideradas na estratificação de amostras normativas.

Detecção de simulação com o uso do wisconsin card sorting test e do trail making test / Detection of malingering using the wisconsin card sorting test and the trail making test

Neste trabalho, tentamos identificar índices de simulação na avaliação neuropsicológica forense, através da avaliação dos padrões de resposta em provas neuropsicológicas. A amostra foi constituída por 56 sujeitos com traumatismo crânioencefálico. Todos se encontravam numa situação de possível recompensa monetária por incapacidade. Utilizamos os instrumentos Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT), Inventário de Sintomas Psicopatológicos (BSI), e a grelha de análise dos autos do processo. Cerca de 30% da amostra enquadrou-se no grupo de prováveis simuladores. Essa porcentagem é congruente com a literatura. Verificou-se uma grande homogeneidade entre os indivíduos com e sem indicadores de simulação, a nível sintomatológico e características sócio-demográficas, o que reforça a necessidade de desenvolvimento de métodos eficazes na detecção da simulação.

The objective of this study was to identify indicators of malingering in forensic neuropsychological assessment by identifying response patterns in neuropsychological tests. The sample was composed by 56 subjects diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma. All subjects were in a situation of monetary reward if incapacity was proven. The instruments used were the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a legal process data file. Approximately 30% of the studied sample was identified as probable malingerers. This percentage is consistent with the literature. We identified a high level of homogeneity of psychological symptoms and socio-demographic features in the group of subjects with indicators of malingering and in the group without such indicators. These results reinforce the necessity to develop efficient methods to detect malingering.

Mediating Effect of Executive Function on Memory in Normal Aging Adults

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that the effect of aging on memory is mediated by executive function. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty healthy adults (101 male, 129 female) were recruited for the study. We used a promising, newly developed, computerized neuropsychological test for the measurement of executive function and memory. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and path analysis. RESULTS: The full mediation model showed a good fit to the data. However, chi-squared (chi2) tests for model comparison indicated that the partial mediation model better fits our data. Thus, the partial mediation model was used as the final model. In terms of auditory-verbal memory, the effect of aging on memory was fully mediated by executive function. However, visuo-spatial memory was significantly affected both indirectly (through executive function) and directly (by aging). Gender differences were not significant in this model. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the importance of executive function in the memory functioning of normal aging adults. It is noteworthy that modality differences were found between auditory-verbal and visuo-spatial memory. Aging is not the only factor that drives memory decline, and its direct, adverse effect on memory was more prominent in the visuo-spatial memory task than auditory-verbal memory task. Since performance in both modalities is fully or partially mediated by executive function, it is important to train normal aging adults in executive control skills, such as planning, strategy formation, and rapid decision making.

Adolescent Normative Data on Simple Neuropsychological Tests for Cognitive Behavioral Disorders / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

Although the Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A, B, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-KFS version (WCST-KFS) and Miyake's Verbal Paired-Associate Learning Test (MVPLT) are simple tools to evaluate cognitive dysfunction in patients with traumatic brain injury, there is very little normative data for young persons available in Japan. Therefore, we evaluated 124 healthy persons who were from 15 to 30 years old with the three assessment tools. Median numbers of TMT Part A and Part B were 23.8 seconds and 49.0 seconds, respectively. Median numbers of achieved categories, perseverative errors of the Nelson type, and difficulties of maintaining set in the WCST-KFS were 5, 2 and 0, respectively. Median numbers of correct answers for related and unrelated pairs of MVPLT were 10 and 9 at the third trial, respectively. TMT Part B and perseverative errors of the Nelson type had a negative and weak correlation with age. And related pairs of MVPLT at the first trial had a positive and weak correlation with age. The normative values obtained in this study would be a useful standard for clinical assessments and acknowledgment of disabilities.

Relationship between the increase in cerebral blood flow and the attentional function during exercise / 体力科学

Although there are a number of reported cases of increased cerebral blood flow during exercise, there are no reports on the relation between changes of blood flow during exercise and attentional function. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relation between changes of blood flow during exercise with AT intensity and attentional function, using near-infrared spectral analysis. The subjects were 10 healthy males. The research protocol was to conduct steady load exercise. We randomly conducted two invention trials: 1) an exercise/task trial in which a trail making test (TMT) was performed as an attentional assignment during steady load exercise, and 2) a rest/task trial in which TMT was performed during rest as a control. As a result, we observed the following: increase of oxy-Hb in the prefrontal cortex during AT exercise, the significant shortening of TMT during exercise from 69.1±10.2 seconds to63.2±7.2seconds, and, with further control, that the more oxy-Hb rises, the more TMT time is shortened. From these results, it is suggested that 10 minutes of exercise would improve attentional function, and furthermore, there is a possibility that increased cerebral blood flow may be involved with the improvement of attentional function.

Effects of age and education level on the Trail Making Test in a healthy brazilian sample

The Trail Making Test (TMT) has been a useful tool for neuropsychological assessment. The present study analyzed the influence of age and education level on TMT performance in healthy adult Portuguese speakers. The criteria for exclusion were a history of neurological disease, psychiatric illness, substance abuse, learning disabilities, or any other difficulty that may interfere with testing. The sample (n = 318) was divided into four age groups: (i) very young (n = 92; 18-34 years old), (ii) young (n = 66; 35-49 years old), (iii) middle-age (n = 117; 50-64 years old), and (iv) elderly (n = 43; 65-81 years old). The sample was also divided into three education levels: (i) low (2-8 years), (ii) middle (9-11 years), and (iii) high (> 12 years). Correlations among the demographic variables and scores on Trails A and B showed that age and education level were the two variables that most affected TMT scores (p < 0.001, analysis of covariance). Post hoc analyses of age did not reveal significant differences between the middle-age and elderly groups in TMT-A performance or between middle and high education level in TMT-A or TMT-B performance. These results are consistent with previous studies and demonstrate that age and education level affect the performance of Brazilian subjects on the TMT.

Cognitive Assessment in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Patients

BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterized by severe neuropathic pain and disability, which can result in psychological and behavioral dysfunction. The goal of the present study was to evaluate neurocognitive disability, and to assess the relationship between clinical variables and neuropsychological features in CRPS patients. METHODS: We investigated the neuropsychological features of 15 CRPS I patients. The neuropsychological tests that we made comprised of a full intelligence quotient, memory quotient, trail-making test A, trail-making test B (TMT-B), and MMPI (Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory). RESULTS: The results showed severe disability in performance on TMT-B. There was no significant correlation between specific cognitive variables and MMPI scales. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased performance on TMT-B which shows mental flexibility in the prefrontal lobe exists independently from depressive disorders in CRPS patients.

Neuropsychological characterization in clinical subtypes of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) sample of patients / Caracterización neuropsicológica en subtipos clínicos de una muestra de pacientes con Trastorno Obsesivo-compulsivo (TOC)

SUMMARY: Since the decade of the seventies, several neuropsychological abnormalities in very different cognitive domains have been described among patients with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Due to the nature of these abnormalities, it was concluded that possibly the main dysfunction for this disorder was located in the right hemisphere, especially in the frontal cortex; nevertheless this particular brain region was found to be involved in other psychiatric disorders, so neuropsychological results were considered to be of limited precision and it was thought that the diversity in results was not due to the malfunction of one particular brain region. So it became evident that a new research methodology based in the information processing model with highly specific neuropsychological paradigms of frontal functioning was needed; as well as considering a subtypology based in the cognitive characteristics in patients with the same disorder and similar phenomenology. Regarding OCD it is well known that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is in charge of the regulation of complex actions, executive functions and the elaboration of logical strategies in a problem solving task; so its dysfunction causes a failure in the creation of response patterns and perseverations due to the inability to change a pattern when an alternative response is needed. On the other hand, obsessions are associated mainly with the anterior cingulated cortex and the basal region of the corpus striatum and its connections with the limbic system, giving place to incapacity to select the relevant information from the environment, which makes the individual perceive irrelevant stimuli as threatening for physical integrity. By the way, some clinical subtypes have also been identified: contamination/washing, aggressiveness/checking, hoarding, symmetry/ order. There is also some evidence of different patterns of brain activation to several visual stimuli related to the obsessive or compulsive object in the clinical subtypes, as shown by functional magnetic resonance image in some regions of the frontal lobe, either dorsolateral, medial or basal and its connections with the basal ganglia, and in some cases thalamus or limbic system. In the face of all this evidence, the goal of the present study was to find if within this disorder it was possible, through several neuropsychological paradigms of frontal functioning, to find different patterns of execution, considering the clinical subtype and the severity of obsessions and compulsions. Fifty-eight patients with a diagnosis of OCD were studied; all patients were under treatment at the OCD clinic of the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente in Mexico City. Two neuropsychological tests were administered: 1) Trail Making Test (TMT) and 2) Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). From the Target Symptom List, the clinical subtype was obtained. After the statistical analysis, we found no differences between the severity of obsessions and the severity of compulsions as measured by the Yale-Brown Scale. Also, we observed three factors concerning the neuropsychological tests, and patients were grouped in four different groups, each one with a distinct cognitive performance. Through the interpretation of results it was concluded that in a sample of 58 patients with OCD, different groups of neuropsychological functioning where distinguished. In their own, these groups where associated with different clinical subtypes. These results are in accordance with the neurobiological modular organization model of OCD, which sustains the existence of independent systems of cognitive dysfunction that regulate different symptomatic expressions.

RESUMEN: La metodología de investigación, a partir del modelo del procesamiento de información con paradigmas neuropsicológicos de funcionamiento del lóbulo frontal, permite un estudio más específico de los trastornos psiquiátricos con fenomenología parecida, lo que a su vez permite crear modelos basados en una subtipología de índole cognoscitiva y, por ende, lleva al conocimiento de los circuitos neurales involucrados en la manifestación clínica de estos padecimientos. En el caso del trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo (TOC), la corteza prefrontal dorsolateral se encarga de regular las acciones complejas, las funciones ejecutivas y la elaboración de estrategias lógicas en la resolución de problemas, de tal manera que su mal funcionamiento ocasiona fallas en la creación de patrones de respuesta y perseveraciones por incapacidad de cambiar de patrón cuando se requiere otra alternativa de respuesta. Por otra parte, las obsesiones se relacionan predominantemente con el cíngulo anterior y la parte basal del cuerpo estriado y de sus conexiones con el sistema límbico, dando lugar a la incapacidad para seleccionar la información relevante del entorno. Esto genera que el individuo perciba los estímulos inocuos como "amenazantes" para la integridad física. También se han identificado subtipos clínicos de obsesiones y compulsiones, tales como contaminación, lavado, agresividad, comprobación, atesoramiento, simetría y de orden, entre otros, que se han relacionado con distintos patrones de transmisión genética, comorbilidad y respuesta a tratamiento. Además, se han documentado distintos patrones de aumento o disminución, ya sea de metabolismo cerebral o de flujo sanguíneo, en los circuitos fronto- estriados. Con la resonancia magnética funcional también se han encontrado distintos patrones de activación en los circuitos neuronales entre distintos subtipos clínicos, mediante la exposición de imágenes que se relacionan con el contenido de la obsesión o bien con la acción de la compulsión. Ante esta evidencia, se decidió averiguar si en pacientes con este trastorno era posible encontrar, mediante distintos paradigmas neuropsicológicos de funcionamiento frontal, dichos patrones diferenciales, considerando tanto el subtipo clínico como la gravedad de las obsesiones y compulsiones. En este estudio participaron 58 pacientes con este diagnóstico pertenecientes a la Clínica de TOC del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente, de los que 24 eran mujeres y 34, hombres. Una vez que los psiquiatras adscritos a dicha clínica confirmaban el diagnóstico obtenido en la cita de primera vez, referían a los pacientes al programa para computadora de Diagnóstico Neuropsicológico Automatizado (DIANA). Se aplicaron en una sola sesión las siguientes pruebas: 1) Trazado con Hitos (TH) y 2) Test de Categorización de Tarjetas de Wisconsin (TCTW). Con posterioridad a la aplicación de las pruebas a todos los pacientes, se revisó cada uno de los expedientes de la clínica de TOC para obtener el subtipo clínico. En el análisis estadístico de los datos se realizó primero un análisis factorial para disminuir el número de variables y luego un análisis de conglomerados para ver si se formaban grupos conforme a la ejecución de los sujetos en las pruebas aplicadas. De acuerdo con la ejecución de los pacientes se observó que los sujetos se agruparon en cuatro grupos distintos de desempeño cognoscitivo: el primero tuvo una ejecución muy deficiente en ambas pruebas. El segundo exhibió un desempeño regular en las dos pruebas pero fue mas rápido para terminar el TH. El tercero sólo estuvo constituido por dos pacientes que tuvieron un desempeño muy diferente al del resto, al presentar una ejecución sobresaliente en WCST pero con gran cantidad de errores en el TH. En tanto, en el cuarto de estos grupos, donde se concentraba la mayoría de la muestra, se consideró que su ejecución fue la más característica y su desempeño en ambas pruebas regular, pero más lento en TH. Cada uno de estos grupos de funcionamiento neuropsicológico se relacionó con los distintos subtipos de obsesiones y compulsiones, mas no con su gravedad. Encontrar subtipos neuropsicológicos de TOC asociados a sintomatología clínica distinta presta apoyo al modelo de organización modular de los diferentes circuitos neurales que intervienen en la manifestación sintomática de este padecimiento.

Effect of Adenotonsillectomy on Inattention and Hyperactivity in Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a common problem in otolaryngology and comprises a spectrum of airway disorders that ranges from simple snoring to obstructive sleep apnea. SDB can exhibit problems of behavioral regulation such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. We aim to assess the effect of adenotonsillectomy on inattention and hyperactivity before and after adenotonsillectomy in children with SDB. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We selected 19 pediatric patients with SDB, whose tonsils are of grade III or greater and the adenoid-nasopharyngeal ratio was 70% or more. The degree of inattentiveness and hyperactivity was evaluated by ADHD diagnostic system (ADS), trail making test, Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) and SNAP-IV rating scale. RESULTS: There was significant improvement after adenotonsillectomy in the score of auditory ADS, trail making test, WCST, SNAP-IV rating scale. However, no improvement in postoperative visual ADS was observed. CONCLUSION: Adenotonsillectomy could be recommended to improve inattentiveness and hyperactivity in children with SDB.

A Study on the Evaluation of Cognitive Function of Adults / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: this study was to evaluate Cognitive Function Test for the Korean population. Digit Forward (DF), Digit Backward (DB) and Trail Making Test-A(TMT-A) and the translated version of the Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B) were used. The study examined the performance of Korean normal adult population whose age ranged from 20 to over 80. It was predicted that performances of the Korean population would be different from that of the United States population due primarily to their differences in language, and education. METHOD: Normal Korean adults at the Daejeon Metropolitan City and Chungchung Province (N=298) participated in this study. Seven age scores were evaluated; 20~29, 30~39, 40~49, 50~59, 60~69, 70~79, &>80s. The effects of age, gender, and years of education was examined, which yielded significant age and education effects. The scores were further specified accordingly in terms of years of education (0, 1~6, 7~12, 13~16, &>17), and gender. RESULT: As the age increased cognitive function score decreased. As the years of education increased, cognitive function scores increased. There was no difference in cognitive function scores according to gender. Age and year of education had significant effects on cognitive function and explained 52-58% of variants of each test. CONCLUSION: The data of the cognitive function tests are expected to be utilized for research purposes such as basic and clinical studies, as well as practical purpose such as cognitive assessment for traumatic brain injury, stroke, and elderly and nursing education for assessment tools.