Neuropsychological performance in patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) lead to neurocognitive disorders; however, there is still much knowledge to be gained regarding HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the cognitive performance, instrumental activities of daily living, depression, and anxiety in patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infections compared with seronegative participants without neurocognitive impairment. We studied a sample consisted of 60 patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infections and 60 seronegative participants without neurocognitive impairment from the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, with a mean age of 36.07 years. A protocol of neuropsychological and psychopathological tests was applied to the participants. The group of patients with asymptomatic HIV infections significantly underperformed on tasks that assessed global cognitive screening, attention span, learning, phonemic verbal fluency, auditory-verbal comprehension, information processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and motor skills compared to the group of seronegative participants. No significant differences were found in memory, visual confrontation naming, vocabulary, inhibition, and instrumental activities of daily living. Additionally, the patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection had a higher anxiety index than the seronegative participants, but no significant difference was found in depression. A correlation was found between depression and anxiety. In conclusion, the patients with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection had lower cognitive performances than the seronegative participants in the cognitive functions mentioned above and more anxiety but still performed the instrumental activities of daily living.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale in Portuguese adults: from classical measurement theory to Rasch model analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a largely wide used scale for sleepiness assessment. Measurement properties are studied in a sample of Portuguese adults, using different statistical procedures. METHODS: The sample consisted of 222 Portuguese adults (97 men and 125 women) with a mean age of 42 years old (SD = 12.5), 46 of which had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) confirmed by polysomnography. The participants were assessed with the ESS, which was tested through a quantitative analysis based on the classical measurement theory (CMT) or the Rasch model (RM) conventions. RESULTS: A principal component factor analysis was performed according to the CMT, revealing a single factor explaining 39.92% of the total variance of the scale. Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's α coefficient was of .77. The mean of inter-item correlation was of .31 (.05 < r > .47), whereas the item-total correlations were considered good (.46 < r > .73). The ESS total score for OSA patients was significantly higher than healthy participants (p < .05). Overall data from the RM analysis was consistent with the guidelines of Linacre and essential unidimensionality was empirically corroborated (61% the percentage of variance explained by the Rasch analysis). Model fit is adequate and the reliability coefficients for both items (.99) and subjects (.78) were considered good. The Cronbach's α coefficient was also satisfactory (.78). CONCLUSIONS: The ESS showed an adequate structural, internal, and criterion validity, both in the CMT and the RM, suggesting this as a useful and effective measure for assessing sleepiness in Portuguese adults.

Assessing the Expression of Emotions in Breast Cancer Survivors during the Time of Recovery: Perspective from Focus Groups.

Breast cancer has major public health implications, as it is the most frequent malignant tumor and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Survivors have many needs, including strategies to cope with the associated distress. We explore whether focus groups are useful for nurses to obtain information about the emotional state of breast cancer women, and develop strategies for coping with the stress that this disease entails. A qualitative study was carried out, involving 25 focus groups with 83 women treated for breast cancer, recruited from the local Breast Cancer Association (ALMOM). Four open-ended questions were employed, and 60-min discussions were carried out. They were transcribed, analyzed, coded, and the themes identified. Four major themes emerged, including "complex emotional evolution", "emotional isolation", "lack of information" and "inability to give advice". Women admitted that this disease had been a stressful factor for them, causing emotional (anxiety, irritability, anger or guilt) and cognitive disorders (confusion, lack of concentration, forgetfulness). The use of focus groups in breast cancer survivors allows nurses to evaluate the expression of emotions in these women, and collect and share information about their feelings, thoughts and experiences, so that survivors can cope more easily with the stress related to their illness.

Hemispheric asymmetry in recognition memory: effects of retention level on the recognition of Portuguese words.

Early findings from Broca and Wernicke led to the classical view of hemispheric specialization, where the main idea relates to left-hemisphere language capabilities compared to right-hemisphere visual capabilities. Federmeier and Benjamin (2005) have suggested that semantic encoding for verbal information in the right hemisphere can be more effective when memory demands are higher. In light of this, our main goal was to study the effect of retention level of verbal information on hemispheric processes. However, regarding the cross-linguistic differences in orthography and their subsequent effects on word recognition (Frost, Katz, & Bentin, 1987), our intent was also to test prior predictions of Federmeier and Benjamin (2005) for a "shallow" orthography language, where words have a clear correspondence between graphemes and phonemes, as opposed to English, which is a "deep" orthography language. Portuguese concrete nouns were selected. The participants were submitted to a visual half-field word presentation using a continuous recognition memory paradigm. The retention level included 1, 2, 4, 8, 20 or 40 words. Results showed that recognition accuracy was higher for words studied in the right visual field, compared to those studied in the left visual field, when the retention interval included 2, 4, or 20 words. No significant differences were found for the remaining intervals. Further analysis on accuracy data for intermediate retention levels showed that recognition accuracy was higher for the 2 words retention level than for the levels including 4, 8, or 20 words; it was higher for left-hemisphere encoding as well. Our results also indicated that reaction times were slower for left-hemisphere encoding and for the 40 words retention level when compared to that of 20 words. In summary, the current results are in partial agreement with those of Federmeier and Benjamin (2005) and suggest different hemispheric memory strategies for the semantic encoding of verbal information.

Virtual Reality During Brain Mapping for Awake-Patient Brain Tumor Surgery: Proposed Tasks and Domains to Test.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) use in health care has increased over the past few decades, with its utility expanding from a teaching tool to a highly reliable neuro-technology adjunct in multiple fields including neurosurgery. Generally, brain tumor surgery with the patient awake has only been performed for mapping of language and motor areas. With the rise of VR and advancing surgical techniques, neurosurgical teams are developing an increased understanding of patients' anatomo-functional connectivity. Consequently, more specific cognitive tasks are being required for the mapping and preservation of deeper layers of cognition. METHODS: An extensive literature review was conducted with the inclusion criteria of manuscripts that described the use of VR during awake neurosurgery mapping. RESULTS: We identified 3 recent articles that met our inclusion criteria, yet none of them addressed the specific use of VR for cognition mapping. Consequently, a cognitive task phase was performed to search and craft the tasks and domains that better filled the spotted niche of this need inside the operating room. A proposed protocol was developed with 5 potential uses of VR for brain mapping during awake neurosurgery, each of them with a specific proposed example of use. CONCLUSIONS: The authors advocate for the use of a VR protocol as a feasible functional tool in awake-patient brain tumor surgery by using it as a complement during cognitive screening in addition to language testing.

Utility of a Short Neuropsychological Protocol for Detecting HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in Patients with Asymptomatic HIV-1 Infection.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a chronic disease that affects ~40 million people worldwide. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are common in individuals with HIV-1 Infection, and represent a recent public health problem. Here we evaluate the performance of a recently proposed short protocol for detecting HAND by studying 60 individuals with HIV-1-Infection and 60 seronegative controls from a Caribbean community in Barranquilla, Colombia. The short evaluation protocol used significant neuropsychological tests from a previous study of asymptomatic HIV-1 infected patients and a group of seronegative controls. Brief screening instruments, i.e., the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS), were also applied. Using machine-learning techniques, we derived predictive models of HAND status, and evaluated their performance with the ROC curves. The proposed short protocol performs exceptionally well yielding sensitivity, specificity, and overall prediction values >90%, and better predictive capacity than that of the MMSE and IHDS. Community-specific cut-off values for HAND diagnosis, based on the MMSE and IHDS, make this protocol suitable for HAND screening in individuals from this Caribbean community. This study shows the effectivity of a recently proposed short protocol to detect HAND in individuals with asymptomatic HIV-1-Infection. The application of community-specific cut-off values for HAND diagnosis in the clinical setting may improve HAND screening accuracy and facilitate patients' treatment and follow-up. Further studies are needed to assess the performance of this protocol in other Latin American populations.

The 5 Objects Test: Normative data from a Spanish community sample.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide normative data for the 5 Objects Test in a large Spanish community sample, as well as some validity evidence. METHODS: The sample was composed of 427 participants (of which 220 females, age 15 to 95 years old; educational level range: 2-17 years). Normative data are provided, as well as correlations with test scores from Benton Visual Retention test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and Mini Mental State Examination. RESULTS: No association was found between delayed recall score and level of education, age or gender. Immediate recall score was correlated with age. Both immediate and delayed recall significantly correlated with the criteria, evidencing concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended that the 5 Objects Test be used for assessing persons in primary care, including those from different linguistic backgrounds or with limited language use. Delayed recall scores are especially recommended given the lack of association with demographic variables.

Long-term treatment for emotional distress in women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer patients have many needs, including strategies to cope with the associated distress, during and after cancer treatment. Establishing and implementing adequate social and emotional support for these women, to reduce the detrimental effects of stress resulting from their treatment and disease, is the need of the hour. This study aims to assess how women, diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, combat emotional stress using mechanisms of coping and control and emotional defense, as well as to identify potential groups among them, with different long-term patterns and needs. METHODS: 98 patients belonging to a local breast cancer support association (ALMOM), were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire specifically designed for them was administered, and its internal consistency and reliability assessed. A hierarchical clustering was employed to classify the women. The questionnaire focused on four sections, including personal feelings, coping strategies, environmental influences and maladaptive coping. RESULTS: An adequate internal reliability was obtained with Cronbach's α near or greater than 0.60. Personal feelings were significant and clearly correlated with coping strategies and maladaptive coping. Three groups of women with different patterns of emotional characteristics and needs were identified: positivist, unsafe, and hopeless women, with different long-term emotional needs to be satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological therapeutic interventions should be maintained in many breast cancer patients over time, even after treatment completion, in order to consolidate adaptive and sustainable responses.

Canine-Assisted Therapy and Quality of Life in People With Alzheimer-Type Dementia: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: With the aim of improving the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease, primarily as regards behavioral and psychological symptoms, we implemented canine-assisted therapy in a group of people with this disease. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study, with a simple pre-post case series design. Participants comprised 10 Alzheimer's day care center users presenting severe or very severe cognitive decline. The measurement instrument employed was the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia (QUALID) scale. RESULTS: By the end of the therapy, 100% of participants showed an improvement in physical, behavioral, and psychological aspects. The total scores of the QUALID scale for the three different evaluation times (before the therapy and 6 and 12 months after starting) after the canine-assisted therapy intervention were smaller and less dispersed. The total score for the QUALID scale decreased significantly (p < 0.05) at 6 and 12 months after starting therapy. An analysis by item revealed that the scores of all of them fell during the course of the therapy. DISCUSSION: Our study provides evidence of the significant benefits of canine-assisted therapy for quality of life in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Language disorders in victims of domestic violence in children's homes.

Studies that deal with child maltreatment have become relevant during these past years. One important aspect to consider is the impact of maltreatment on the cognitive functioning and more precisely on language. Our objective is to analyze the different components in the comprehension and production of language in children victims of domestic abuse in Childrens Homes. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consists of 104 participants divided in two groups. A group of children who have just been institutionalized due to domestic abuse (VG) (Age: 8 years 2 months with a standard deviation of 1, 5 years) without previous treatment; a group of comparison (CG) made up by children who have not been victim of domestic violence (Age: 8 years 6 months with a standard deviation of 2 years and a month), with similar characteristics of gender, age and schooling. MATERIAL: The Child Neuropsychological Assessment by Matute, Rosselli, Ardila and Ostrosky (2007) was applied. This test includes metalinguistic, oral and written comprehension and expression skills. RESULTS: The VG group showed low scores in all components of the analyzed language with exception to the discourse, syllable and non-word dictation compared to the CG children. CONCLUSIONS: The alterations of the language observed in these children semantic suggest a lack of consolidation of phonological coding and a low use of code. From our findings an early language evaluation in these children can be of especial interest to apply timely intervention programs with the aim of diminishing the impact caused by domestic violence on school failure which is a frequent trait in these children.

Sensitivity and specificity of Frontal Assessment Battery in newly diagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients.

BACKGROUND: Executive dysfunction (ED) is often observed in subjects diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but their assessment requires facilities that are not always available. We aim to evaluate the extent to which Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) discriminates ED in newly diagnosed, untreated, and without-comorbidity OSA patients. METHODS: Sixty subjects participated in the study. Of these, 40 (31 males and 9 females) were newly diagnosed for OSA through full-night polysomnography (apnea/hypopnea index; M = 39.01, SD = 27.16), untreated, with a mean age of 54.50 years (SD = 8.90), while the remaining 20 (15 males and 5 females) had no symptoms of OSA (M = 51.60 years, SD = 10.70). The instruments used were the following: Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea Risk, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, and FAB. RESULTS: The group with OSA exhibited significantly lower values in the FAB global score (p = 0.003) and in Conceptualization (p = 0.001) and Mental Flexibility (p = 0.009) subtests. ROC analysis showed adequate discriminative capacity for the FAB global score (AUC = 0.74) and for Conceptualization (AUC = 0.75) and Mental Flexibility (AUC = 0.70) scores. CONCLUSIONS: The FAB is a short and no-time-consuming tool that can be used to investigate the presence of ED in untreated OSA patients with no comorbidities, providing clinicians with a simple and effective way of detecting the presence of this dysfunction and allowing a more informed decision for the need of a full neuropsychological assessment.

Executive functioning in obese individuals waiting for clinical treatment.

BACKGROUND: Executive functions have an important role in human behavioural regulation and can be a determinant of eating behaviour. Our aim was to study the different components of executive functions in obese individuals waiting for clinical treatment, comparing them with normoweight subjects with similar socio-demographic characteristics. METHOD: A total of 114 adults (76 obese and 38 normoweight) completed a neuropsychological battery that included tasks of conceptualization and abstraction, motor programming, response maintenance, inhibition and resistance, problem solving, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between groups for all the dimensions of the executive functions evaluated, with the obese group showing poorer performance compared to normoweight. CONCLUSIONS: Obese individuals demonstrated poorer executive functions than normoweight individuals.

Verbal Functions in Psychopathy.

The aim of this study was to compare the verbal functions and language skills of male psychopathic individuals (in prison and outside) with non-psychopaths. The purpose was therefore to analyze phonological processing, reading and writing skills, the meaning of words and images, and the understanding of sentences. Ninety individuals with an average age of 38.19 (SD = 7.67) voluntarily participated in this study. The data were collected in different settings: prisons, a private charitable organization, and private clinics and health centers. All participants completed the Psychopathy Checklist Revised and the Psycholinguistic Assessment of Language Processing in Aphasia, to assess psychopathy traits and language skills, respectively. Participants were allocated into four different groups: incarcerated psychopathic offenders (n = 13), non-incarcerated psychopathic non-offenders living in the community (n = 13), incarcerated non-psychopathic offenders (n = 25), and non-psychopathic non-offenders living in the community (n = 39). The results showed that the verbal functions and language skills between psychopaths and non-psychopaths are very similar, showing a common profile. The data presented indicate the need for more specific work opportunities for both groups within the correctional setting, with the use of appropriate language and individualized programs as necessary.

Measurement properties of a screening questionnaire of obstructive sleep apnea risk: Little information, great prediction?(☆).

INTRODUCTION: Previous research had shown the suitability of several questionnaires predicting the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Measurement properties of an online screening questionnaire were studied. METHODS: The sample consisted of 184 Portuguese adults (89 men and 95 women); 46 of them were polysomnographically diagnosed with the untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The participants were assessed with an online questionnaire of sleep apnea risk, from University of Maryland. RESULTS: A principal component factor analysis was performed, revealing a single factor (49.24% of the total variance). Internal consistency was minimally adequate (α=0.74). The mean of inter-item correlation was of 0.35 (0.120.61), whereas the item-total correlations were considered good (0.520.81). The total score for patients was significantly higher than for healthy participants (p<0.000), but no significant statistical differences between severity groups of patients were found (p>0.05). Furthermore, the ability of the measure in discriminating between healthy subjects and OSA subjects was good. Overall data from the Rasch analysis was consistent with the guidelines of Linacre, scores show good model fit and psychometric adequacy. CONCLUSIONS: The measure showed an adequate structural, internal and criterion validity, suggesting this as a useful and effective screening for sleep apnea risk in Portuguese adults.

Velocidad de procesamiento de la información en la enfermedad de Alzheimer / Information processing speed in Alzheimer's disease

Resumen Introducción: El enlentecimiento en la velocidad de procesamiento de la información (VPI) es un hallazgo frecuente en una gran variedad de patologías cerebrales. Desde un punto de vista clínico la evaluación de la VPI reviste gran interés ya que puede afectar al procesamiento cognitivo con importantes repercusiones en las actividades de la vida diaria. El objetivo fue estudiar el tiempo de realización de diferentes tareas ejecutivas como medida de la velocidad de procesamiento de la información, en sujetos con enfermedad de Alzheimer de diferente grado de severidad. También hemos analizado el número de errores en las diferentes tareas. Método: 50 pacientes con enfermedad de Alzheimer con deterioro cognitivo leve (n = 17), moderado (n = 17) y moderadamente grave (n = 16), según la Escala de Deterioro Global y 60 sujetos sin deterioro cognitivo. Se utlizó el Trail-Making Test, el Test del Mapa del Zoo y el Stroop. Resultados: Existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos en todas las medidas analizadas, tiempo de ejecución y números de errores del Trail-Making Test; tiempo de ejecución y número de errores en el Test del mapa del Zoo y en la condiciones del Stroop palabras, colores y palabras-colores (p < 0,01 ). Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados indican que el procesamiento de la información en pacientes con enfermedad de Alzheimer está lentificado, en los que se evidencia un mayor tiempo de ejecución y en un mayor número de errores, en relación a los sujetos sin deterioro cognitivo.

Introduction: Slowdown of information processing speed (ISP) is a common finding in a variety of brain pathologies. From a clinical point of view, assessment of ISP is of great interest since cognitive processing can be affected and, consequently, show consequences on daily living activities. The aim was to study the time in performing different executive tasks, as measures of information processing speed, in subjects with different severity of Alzheimer's Disease. Number of mistakes in the different taks has also been analysed. Method: 50 patients with Alzheimer's Disease presenting mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 17) and moderately severe (n = 16) cognitive impairment, according to Global Deterioration Scale; and 60 subjects with no cognitive impairment. Trail-Making test, Zoo Map test and Stroop test were administered. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between all groups in all measures performed, time of performance and number of mistakes in Trail-Making test; time of performance and number of mistakes in the Zoo Map test; and words, color and, word-color conditions in Stroop test (p < 0,01). Conclusions: Our results suggest that information processing in patients with Alzheimer's Disease is slower compared to patients with no cognitive impairment, since a higher time of performance and rate of mistakes are presented.

Contrasting Two Verbal Fluency Scoring Systems Using the Rasch Rating Scale Model / Comparación de Dos Sistemas de Puntuación de la Fluidez Verbal Mediante el Modelo de Escalas de Calificación

Resumen Objetivo: Comparar dos sistemas de puntuación para un test de fluidez verbal con el Modelo de Escalas de Calificación. Método: Se analizaron datos de 289 participantes, de los cuales 92 habían sido diagnosticados con Parkinson. Las puntuaciones se calcularon con dos sistemas de categorización: un procedimiento convencional y otro basado en percentiles. Resultados: Las puntuaciones Rasch procedentes de percentiles dan lugar a categorías adecuadas y medidas fiables; la correlación con las puntuaciones del test Minimental es evidencia de validez concurrente. Tras controlar estadísticamente el efecto de la edad, las medidas Rasch procedentes de percentiles discriminan entre ambos grupos, lo que evidencia validez predictiva. Conclusiones: El análisis de los dos procedimientos permite recomendar el uso de las categorías basadas en percentiles.

Abstract Objective: Two scoring systems for a verbal fluency test were compared using the Rasch Rating Scale Model. Method: The analysis was carried out on 289 participants, 92 of whom had had a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Scores were calculated with two different category systems: a conventional procedure and a percentile-based one. Results: The percentile-based Rasch scores produce adequate categories and reliable measures, while the correlation with the Mini Mental State Examination evinces concurrent validity. After statistically controlling for age, percentile-based Rasch measures discriminated between both groups, demonstrating predictive validity. Conclusions: The analysis of the two procedures allows for the recommendation of the use of percentile-based categories.

Executive functioning in obese individuals waiting for clinical treatment / Funcionamiento ejecutivo en sujetos obesos en espera de tratamiento clínico

BACKGROUND: Executive functions have an important role in human behavioural regulation and can be a determinant of eating behaviour. Our aim was to study the different components of executive functions in obese individuals waiting for clinical treatment, comparing them with normoweight subjects with similar socio-demographic characteristics. METHOD: A total of 114 adults (76 obese and 38 normoweight) completed a neuropsychological battery that included tasks of conceptualization and abstraction, motor programming, response maintenance, inhibition and resistance, problem solving, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between groups for all the dimensions of the executive functions evaluated, with the obese group showing poorer performance compared to normoweight. CONCLUSIONS: Obese individuals demonstrated poorer executive functions than normoweight individuals

ANTECEDENTES: las funciones ejecutivas tienen un papel importante en la regulación del comportamiento humano y pueden ser un determinante en la conducta alimentaria. El objetivo fue estudiar diferentes componentes de las funciones ejecutivas en individuos obesos en espera de tratamiento clínico, comparándolos con individuos con normopeso con características sociodemográficas similares. MÉTODO: participaron 114 adultos (76 obesos y 38 con normopeso) que completaron una batería neuropsicológica que incluyó tareas de conceptualización y abstracción, programación motora, manutención de respuesta, control inhibitorio, resolución de tareas, flexibilidad cognitiva y fluencia verbal. RESULTADOS: existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos en todas las tareas del funcionamiento ejecutivo evaluadas. El grupo de los obesos obtuvo puntuaciones más bajas que el grupo con normopeso. CONCLUSIONES: los individuos sujetos obesos revelan peor funcionamiento ejecutivo que los con normopeso

Scoring neuropsychological tests using the Rasch model: an illustrative example with the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure.

Parametric statistical methods are typically used for analyzing test scores, even though they are ordinal at best. The Meyers and Meyers' Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure four-category scoring system has been evaluated with the Rasch Rating Scale Model, and disordered thresholds have been found. However, Rasch-modeling dichotomized data led to good fit for both normal (n = 219) and Traumatic Brain Injury (n = 54) samples and generalized validity for these groups, as well as for male and female groups. The logarithmic transformation of the item and person data performed by the model converts the ordinal data to yield interval scaled data. This is desirable not only from a scientific perspective, but also from the point of view of interpretability and communicability.

Fluencia de acciones en personas mayores / Action fluency tasks in Spanish subjects over 65 years old

La fluencia de acciones está considerada como una medida del funcionamiento ejecutivo de gran utilidad como indicador de rendimientos frontales, en diferentes poblaciones clínicas. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar y analizar los rendimientos en tareas de fluencia de acciones, teniendo en cuenta factores como el sexo, la edad y el nivel educacional, con la finalidad de poder establecer valores normativos para estas tareas. La muestra está compuesta por 200 sujetos normales españoles, de ambos sexos, con edades comprendidas entre 65 y 95 años y de diferentes niveles educacionales, a los cuales se les realizó una evaluación neuropsicológica. Nuestros resultados ponen de manifiesto que la edad y el nivel educacional están relacionados con los rendimientos obtenidos en tareas de fluencia de acciones. El sexo no influye en la capacidad de evocar palabras que designan una acción (verbos)

Action fluency is considered a very useful tool to measure the executive function indicating frontal performances in different clinical populations. The object of this project is to study and analyze the performance on action fluency tasks, taking into account gender, age, and educational level, in order to obtain normative values for the tasks. The sample consisted of 200 normal Spanish subjects, of both sexes, between 65 and 95 years of age and different educational levels, to which they was realized an assessment neuropsychological. Our results show that age and educational level are correlated with performances in action fluency tasks. Gender does not affect in the ability to evoke words which designate an action (i.e. verbs)