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Neuropsychological test performance in Aruaco Indians: An exploratory study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2001

ALFREDO ARDILA
Affiliation:
Instituto Colombiano de Neuropsicología, Bogotá, Colombia
SONIA MORENO
Affiliation:
University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

A sample of 20 right-handed Aruaco Indians (12 male, 8 female; age 8–30 years) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia) participated in this study. A brief neuropsychological test battery (visuoconstructive and visuoperceptual abilities, memory, ideomotor praxis, verbal fluency, spatial abilities, concept formation) was individually administered. In addition, a handedness questionnaire was included. In some neuropsychological tests performance was virtually perfect (Recognition of Overlapped Figures and Ideomotor Praxis Ability test), whereas performance in other tests was impossible (e.g., Block Design using a time limit). It was proposed that two types of variables were significantly affecting performance: (1) educational level; and (2) cultural relevance. Some tests appeared significant and meaningful whereas others were meaningless and even impossible to understand. The appropriateness of current neuropsychological instruments for cross-cultural assessment is discussed. (JINS, 2001, 7, 510–515.)

Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Copyright
© 2001 The International Neuropsychological Society

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