ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The neuropsychological assessment of language requires instruments that evaluate its receptive and expressive aspects. Due to cultural discrepancies, the use of neuropsychological tests demands normalization studies to the population in which they will be used. AIM: To provide normative data for Brazilian schoolchildren in relation to the Token Test, Semantic Verbal Fluency Test and the Minas Gerais Naming Test (animals, body parts and food categories). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 101 children (51 males, 50 females) with ages between 7 to 10 years (mean: 8 years and 8 months), with 2 to 4 years of formal education. Exclusion criteria included score below 25 percentile in the Raven Test. RESULTS. There were no differences between male and female performance. Age was significantly related to performance in all tests. CONCLUSION: The results are compatible to the literature and, thought preliminary, they may be used as reference in research and clinical settings in our country.
Subject(s)
Language Tests , Language , Neuropsychological Tests , Verbal Behavior/physiology , Age Factors , Brazil , Child , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Introducción. El examen neuropsicológico del lenguaje requiere instrumentos que evalúen aspectos expresivos yreceptivos. Si se tienen en cuenta las diferencias culturales, el uso de tests neuropsicológicos debe condicionarse a los estudiosnormativos para el país donde se utilizarán. Objetivo. Obtener las normas para aplicar el test de fluidez verbal semántica(categorías animales, partes del cuerpo y alimentos), el Token Test y el test de denominación de Minas Gerais enniños brasileños. Sujetos y métodos. Se evaluaron 101 niños (51 niñas y 50 niños) con edades comprendidas entre los 7 y los10 años (la media de edad era de 8 años y 8 meses), y con dos a cuatro años de educación reglada. Los criterios de exclusiónincluyeron un resultado inferior al percentil 25 del test de matrices progresivas de Raven. Resultados. No se comprobarondiferencias entre la realización de los niños y niñas en ninguno de los tests, pero la edad influyó en la realización de los sujetosen los tres tests. Conclusión. Los resultados conseguidos son compatibles con la bibliografía e, incluso preliminares, puedenservir como base para las investigaciones y actuaciones clínicas en nuestro contexto
INTRODUCTION. The neuropsychological assessment of language requires instruments that evaluate its receptive and expressive aspects. Due to cultural discrepancies, the use of neuropsychological tests demands normalization studies to the population in which they will be used. AIM. To provide normative data for Brazilian schoolchildren in relation to the Token Test, Semantic Verbal Fluency Test and the Minas Gerais Naming Test (animals, body parts and food categories). SUBJECTS AND METHODS. 101 children (51 males, 50 females) with ages between 7 to 10 years (mean: 8 years and 8 months), with 2 to 4 years of formal education. Exclusion criteria included score below 25 percentile in the Raven Test. RESULTS. There were no differences between male and female performance. Age was significantly related to performance in all tests. CONCLUSION. The results are compatible to the literature and, thought preliminary, they may be used as reference in research and clinical settings in our country