A novel abbreviated version of the Luria neuropsychological diagnosis battery: reliability and convergent validity in Spanish older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the new Spanish abbreviated version of the Luria Neuropsychological Diagnosis (DNA-2) battery for older adults. METHOD: A total of thirty cognitively healthy volunteers were examined in this study. The participants completed a comprehensive standardized assessment, encompassing cognitive and functional performance. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to examine test-retest and inter-rater reliability. One month was allowed between administrations. Furthermore, correlations between Luria DNA-2 (total and domain subscores) and other classical cognitive measures were explored. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability on the overall Luria DNA-2 score was high (ICC= .834, 95% CI [.680, .917], p < .001). Furthermore, the inter-rater reliability for the total score demonstrated an excellent concordance between administrators (ICC= .990, 95% CI [.979, .995], p < .001). Positive and significant correlations were observed between Luria DNA-2 (both total and domain subscores) and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE-III; ρ = .857, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the adequate reliability of the Luria DNA-2, as an abbreviated neuropsychological battery, for assessing cognitive performance in Spaniards aged 55 years and older. Future studies should continue to explore the psychometric properties of the Luria DNA-2, particularly those related to its diagnostic validity for early detection of cognitive impairment.

Characterizing functional alterations in instrumental activities of daily living using latent class analysis: a population-based study (NEDICES).

Background and Objectives: The existence of different patterns of functional impairment in older adults has scarcely been addressed. This research investigates major patterns of functional impairment based on Pfeffer's Functional Activity Questionnaire (FAQ).Research Design and Methods: The participants come from NEDICES (Neurological Disorders in Central Spain), a prospective population-based cohort study. A total of 3837 individuals without dementia who completed the Spanish version of the FAQ was selected. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was carried out to examine potential cluster subgroups based on FAQ responses.Results: The FAQ showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.86) and moderate correlation (r = -.40) with cognitive performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-37). The response patterns revealed the presence of three latent classes: absence of functional alteration (Class 1), established functional alteration (Class 2), and minimal functional alteration (Class 3). Moreover, the probability of resolving Items 2 ('shopping alone for…'), 3 ('heating water…'), 4 ('preparing a balanced meal'), and 9 ('travelling out of neighbourhood…') was close to 0% for Class 2 membership, while those with the lowest probability of resolution for Class 3 were Items 2 and 9. Items 3 and 4 were the best to discriminate between different grades of functional alterations (Class 2 vs. Class 3).Discussion and Implications: Our findings indicate that the combination of overall FAQ score and item response pattern may help to classify individuals with different subtypes of functional impairment. The Spanish version of the FAQ is a useful tool for detection of functional impairment in older adults.

Utilidad de la batería luria diagnóstico neuropsicológico de adultos / The utility of the luria battery for neuropsychological diagnosis of adults

Actualmente existen diferentes herramientas basadas en el enfoque de evaluación neuropsicológica de Luria, pero los datos empíricos sobre las poblaciones españolas son limitados. El objetivo principal de este estudio es revisar evidencias científicas sobre las propiedades psicométricas del Luria Diagnóstico Neuropsicológico de Adultos (Luria DNA). Este estudio agregativo revisa sistemáticamente 14 investigaciones científicas (artículos y tesis doctorales) utilizando la 'Luria DNA'. De acuerdo con esta revisión, la batería 'Luria DNA' permite detectar cambios neuropsicológicos en personas con diferentes tipos de patologías y discapacidad intelectual. Sin embargo, las evidencias normativas y clínicas son aún escasas. Se hacen necesarias futuras investigaciones para aclarar la sensibilidad y la especificidad de esta batería para discriminar entre personas mayores con deterioro cognitivo y personas cognitivamente sanas

Currently there are various tools based on Luria's neuropsychological assessment approach, but the empirical data on Spanish populations are limited. The main objective of this study is to review the scientific evidence on the psychometric properties of the Luria Spanish Battery for the Neuropsychological Diagnosis of Adults (Luria DNA). This aggregative study systematically reviews 14 scientific investigations (articles and doctoral dissertations) that use the Luria DNA. According to this review, the Luria DNA battery allows the detection of neuropsychological changes in people with different types of pathologies and intellectual disability. However, the normative evidence and clinical data are still scarce. Further investigations are needed in order to clarify the sensitivity and specificity of this battery in discriminating between older individuals with cognitive impairment and those that are cognitively healthy