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Performance of illiterate and literate nondemented elderly subjects in two tests of long-term memory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2004

RICARDO NITRINI ,
PAULO CARAMELLI ,
EMÍLIO HERRERA ,
CLÁUDIA SELLITTO PORTO ,
HELENICE CHARCHAT-FICHMAN ,
MARIA TERESA CARTHERY ,
LEONEL TADAO TAKADA  and
EDSON PEREIRA LIMA
RICARDO NITRINI
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
PAULO CARAMELLI
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
EMÍLIO HERRERA
Affiliation:
Catanduva School of Medicine, Catanduva, Brazil
CLÁUDIA SELLITTO PORTO
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
HELENICE CHARCHAT-FICHMAN
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
MARIA TERESA CARTHERY
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
LEONEL TADAO TAKADA
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
EDSON PEREIRA LIMA
Affiliation:
Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
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Abstract

Cognitive evaluation in developing countries is a difficult undertaking due to low levels of schooling and particularly the illiteracy still frequent in the elderly. This study was part of the epidemiologic evaluation of dementia in Catanduva, Brazil, and had the objective of comparing the performance of illiterate and literate nondemented elderly individuals in 2 tests of long-term memory—the delayed recall of a word list from the CERAD and the delayed recall of common objects presented as simple drawings from the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB). Fifty-one elderly subjects (23 illiterates) were evaluated, and the performance of the illiterates and literates differed in the CERAD memory test, but not in the BCSB memory test. This test may be more suitable for the assessment of long-term memory in populations with a high frequency of illiterates, and therefore might prove to be a useful screening tool for the diagnosis of dementia. (JINS, 2004, 10, 634–638.)

Keywords

Neuropsychological evaluationIlliteracyEducationCERADDementia
Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , July 2004 , pp. 634 - 638
Copyright
2004 The International Neuropsychological Society

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