Demographically-adjusted normative data among Latinos for the version 3 of the Alzheimer's Disease Centers' Neuropsychological Test Battery in the Uniform Data Set.

INTRODUCTION: We developed demographically-adjusted normative data for Spanish- and English-speaking Latinos on the Version 3.0 of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Battery (UDS3-NB). METHODS: Healthy Latino adults (N = 437) age 50-94 (191 Spanish- and 246 English-speaking) enrolled in Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers completed the UDS3-NB in their preferred language. Normative data were developed via multiple linear regression models on UDS3-NB raw scores stratified by language group with terms for demographic characteristics (age, years of formal education, and sex). RESULTS: Younger age and more years of education were associated with better performance on most tests in both language groups, with education being particularly influential on raw scores among Spanish-speakers. Sex effects varied across tests and language groups. DISCUSSION: These normative data are a crucial step toward improving diagnostic accuracy of the UDS3-NB for neurocognitive disorders among Latinos in the United States and addressing disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. HIGHLIGHTS: We developed normative data on the UDS3-NB for Latinos in the US ages 50-94. Younger age and more years of education were linked to better raw scores in several cognitive tests. Education was particularly influential on raw scores among Spanish-speakers. Sex effects varied across tests and between English- and Spanish-speaking Latinos. These normative data might improve diagnostic accuracy of the UDS3-NB among Latinos.

Group differences in normal neuropsychological test performance for older non-Hispanic White and Black/African American adults.

OBJECTIVE: Although researchers have documented the influence of cultural factors on neuropsychological test performance, few studies have examined the distribution of test scores among neurologically healthy older adults from different ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are group differences in neuropsychological test score distributions with ethnicity-specific norms for non-Hispanic White and Black/African American older adults. METHOD: Participants from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center were selected if they were not diagnosed with dementia within 5 years (Mage = 75.26, SDage = 6.98; Meducation = 15.70, SDeducation = 2.91). Groups were formed based on self-identified ethnicity of White (n = 5,311) or Black/African American (n = 1,098). All participants completed neuropsychological testing, including the Mini Mental State Exam, Logical Memory Immediate and Delayed, Digit Span Forward and Backward, Trail Making Test A & B, Animal Naming, Vegetable Naming, Digit Symbol, and Boston Naming Test. RESULTS: Based on combined ethnicity norms, the scores of Black participants were overrepresented in the below-average and low-average clinical ranges, and the scores of White participants were overrepresented in the high-average and superior clinical ranges for all 11 neuropsychological measures. When group specific norms were used, the unbalanced pattern of score categorization was no longer present for any of the neuropsychological measures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the importance of developing and using ethnically and culturally appropriate neuropsychological test norms as well as the risk of interpreting some Black individual's scores as below average when they likely are not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The relationship between smell identification and neuropsychological domains: Results from a sample of community-dwelling adults suspected of dementia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to test the theoretical relationships between smell identification and cognitive tasks based on existing neuroimaging and anatomical findings. METHOD: Utilizing data collected from a memory assessment clinic, theory-derived mediation and moderation models were tested. The sample used in this study consisted of 103 (39 male, 64 female) individuals referred for memory assessments. The sample's mean education was 12.4 years (SD = 3.2), and the mean age of the sample was 77.2 years (SD = 6.3). RESULTS: The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) was a significant, partial mediator of the relationship between the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) Immediate and Delayed Memory indexes. Olfactory identification did not mediate list learning and retrieval; however, olfactory identification was a significant partial mediator of the relationship between story encoding and later memory retrieval of the story. Olfactory identification also fully mediated the relationship between a visuospatial construction task and its reconstruction from memory after a short delay. The relationship between processing speed and the olfactory identification was significantly mediated by semantic memory. Finally, the UPSIT moderated the relationship between a measure of premorbid ability, the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading, and current global cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support theoretical relationships between olfaction and neuropsychological domains. Additionally, our results suggest that the UPSIT may serve as a proxy for cerebral integrity and is likely related to the duration of neurodegeneration.