Research Article

Comparison of performance on three neuropsychological tests in healthy Turkish immigrants and Danish elderly

T. Rune Nielsen^a1a2 c1, Asmus Vogel^a1 and Gunhild Waldemar^a1

^a1 Memory Disorders Research Group, Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

^a2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

ABSTRACT

Background: Appropriate neuropsychological tests for cross-cultural assessment of dementia in elderly ethnic and linguistic minorities are generally lacking in Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-cultural applicability of the Recall of Pictures Test (RPT), Clock Reading Test (CRT), and supermarket fluency (SF) in samples of Turkish immigrants and Danish elderly.

Methods: Samples of Turkish immigrants and Danish elderly were recruited from the Greater Copenhagen area. All participants were screened for factors known to affect cognitive test performance. Those who were included in the study underwent an approximately two-hour assessment, where the RPT, CRT, and SF were applied as a part of a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests.

Results: A total of 109 elderly participants were included in the study: 73 Turkish and 36 Danish. Significant differences were found between the Turkish and Danish samples in CRT and SF performances, but not in any of the RPT measures. Age and acculturation level were the only demographic variables with significant impact on test performances. Performance data for the three tests are presented as percentiles.

Conclusions: Although small differences were observed between the Turkish and Danish samples on the CRT and SF, we consider the three tests to be important neuropsychological tests for assessment of dementia in elderly patients from ethnic minority migrant populations.

(Received October 18 2011)

(Revised November 26 2011)

(Revised February 06 2012)

(Accepted February 18 2012)

(Online publication April 16 2012)

Key words:

• neuropsychology;
• cognitive testing;
• cross-cultural;
• ethnic minority;
• dementia

Correspondence:

^c1 Correspondence should be addressed to: T. Rune Nielsen, Memory Disorders Research Group, Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Phone: +45 35 45 71 18; Fax: +45 35 45 53 23. Email: rune.nielsen@rh.regionh.dk.