Age and education effects on adults' performance on the Brazilian version of the Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery

• Published in: Aphasiology Vol. 29; no. 10; pp. 1219 - 1234
• Main Authors: Fonseca, Rochele Paz, Kochhann, Renata, Pereira, Natalie, Côté, Hélène, Ska, Bernadette, Giroux, Francine, Joanette, Yves, Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03-10-2015
• Subjects: age; communication; education; neuropsychological evaluation; right hemisphere
• ISSN: 0268-7038; 1464-5041
• DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2015.1032878

Background: Socio-demographic features such as age and education are the strongest influences on cognitive and communicative performance in every culture. However, there are few neuropsychological tests adapted to Brazilian society, culture, and language, especially for evaluating the communication of individuals with right hemisphere damage.
Aims: This study was designed to describe age and education effects on the communicative performance of non-brain-damaged Brazilian adults on the Brazilian Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery (MAC Battery), which was created to evaluate components of communication usually overlooked by aphasia tests.
Methods & Procedures: The sample was composed of 240 adults, divided into two education and three age groups. The influence of these variables on the Brazilian MAC Battery performance was assessed.
Outcomes & Results: Communicative performance is influenced by educational level. Age also partially impacts performance, but to a lesser degree, and there is an interaction between these factors in five tasks.
Conclusions: These results are important for the use of this protocol with patients with neurological disorders since education and age will have to be taken into consideration.