Individual and sociocultural influences on language processing as assessed by the MTL-BR Battery

• Published in: Aphasiology Vol. 28; no. 10; pp. 1244 - 1257
• Main Authors: Pagliarin, Karina Carlesso, Ortiz, Karin Zazo, Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta, Nespoulous, Jean-Luc, Joanette, Yves, Fonseca, Rochele Paz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03-10-2014
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Aphasia; Assessment; Education level; Language tests
• ISSN: 0268-7038; 1464-5041
• DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2014.918573

Background: The Montreal-Toulouse Language Assessment Battery-Brazilian version (MTL-BR) has been adapted, extensively revised, and redesigned from French to Brazilian Portuguese to assess components of spoken and written language, praxis, and arithmetical skills after brain injury.
Aims: The aim of the present study was to verify the influence of age, education, and gender on healthy adults' linguistic performance on the MTL-BR.
Methods & Procedures: The sample consisted of 463 healthy adults recruited from cities in southern and southeastern Brazil, divided into groups according to gender, age (19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-75 years), and education level (5-8, 9-11 and >12 years of formal schooling); the influence of all these variables on MTL-BR performance was assessed.
Outcomes & Results: The results showed that education had the greatest influence on subtest scores. Few scores appeared to be influenced by age, and only minimal gender differences were identified.
Conclusions: The data obtained will contribute to the clinical assessment of patients with aphasia throughout Brazil.