Search

Objective To generate normative data on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the SDMT as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained 29-56% of the variance in SDMT scores. Although there were gender differences on the SDMT in Mexico, Honduras, Paraguay, and Guatemala, none of the four countries had an effect size greater than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions This is the first normative multicenter study conducted in Latin America to create norms for the SDMT; this study will have an impact on the future practice of neuropsychology throughout the global region.

Objective To generate normative data on the Stroop Test across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the Stroop Test, as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained 14-36% of the variance in Stroop Word scores, 12-41% of the variance in the Stoop Color, 14-36% of the variance in the Stroop Word-Color scores, and 4-15% of variance in Stroop Interference scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women on the Stroop test, none of the countries had an effect size larger than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions This is the first normative multicenter study conducted in Latin America to create norms for the Stoop Test in a Spanish-Speaking sample. This study will therefore have important implications for the future of neuropsychology research and practice throughout the region.

Objective To generate normative data on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test- Revised (HVLT-R) across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the HVLT-R as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained 17- 45% of the variance in HVLT-R scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women in Guatemala on the HVLT-R, it was a small effect size. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions The results from this study will have a substantial impact on the practice of neuropsychology in Latin America, as this is the first normative multicenter study to develop norms for the HVLT-R in this region.

Objective To generate normative data on the Modified Card Sorting Test (M-WCST) across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the M-WCST as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained between 2-33% of the variance in M-WCST scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women from seven different countries on the M-WCST, the effect sizes were small. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions This is the first normative multicenter study conducted in in Latin America aiming to create norms for the M-WCST; this study will have important implications for the future of neuropsychology in the region.

Objective To generate normative data on the Boston Naming Test (BNT) across 10 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,779 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the BNT as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained between 3-32% of the variance in BNT scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women for Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, and Bolivia on the BNT, none of the six countries had an effect size larger than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions This is the first normative multicenter study conducted in Latin America to generate norms for the BNT; this study will have substantial repercussions for the practice of neuropsychology throughout the global region.

We have shown previously that whereas acute exposure of cultured murine peritoneal macrophages inhibits phagocytosis, chronic exposure results in a putative tolerant/dependent state. We now report similar observations using human cultured monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDM) from a control population and from methadone patients. With hMDM, acute exposure to morphine and methadone inhibited phagocytosis in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, chronic exposure resulted in eventual normalization of phagocytosis, indicating that a putative tolerant state to the opiates had developed. When opiates were withdrawn from chronically-exposed, tolerized hMDM, phagocytosis was once again depressed. The duration of withdrawal-induced depression lasted several hours, which is much longer than evidenced previously with murine macrophages. These data identify well with various in vivo studies on immune effects of opiate withdrawal; and, in so-doing, supplement ongoing speculation that opiate withdrawal is likely to have serious impact on host defenses of street heroin addicts.

Objective To generate normative data on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the ROCF as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models explained 7-34% of the variance in ROCF copy scores and 21-41% of the variance in immediate recall scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women on ROCF copy and immediate recall scores, none of the countries had an effect size larger than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions The present study is the first to create norms for the ROCF in Latin America. As a result, this study will have important implications for the formation and practice of neuropsychology in this region.

Objective To generate normative data on the Trail Making Test (TMT) across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Honduras, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Bolivia. Each subject was administered the TMT as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models for the TMT-A explained 23- 50% of the variance, and the final multiple linear models for the TMT-B explained 22- 49% of the variance. Although there were gender differences on the TMT in Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, and Honduras, only Honduras had an effect size greater than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were generated for the Trail Making Test-A, but not B, in this country. Conclusions The present study is the first to create norms for the TMT in Latin America. As a result, this study will have important implications for the practice of neuropsychology in the future.

Objective To generate normative data for the Verbal Fluency Tests across 11 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate. Method The sample consisted of 3,977 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and, Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the Verbal Fluency Test as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms. Results The final multiple linear regression models for the letter F explained 8-30% of the variance, 7-32% for letter A, 8-32% for the letter S, and 16-43% for the animal category in Verbal Fluency Test scores. Although t-tests showed significant differences between men and women on the Verbal Fluency Test, they did not have an effect size larger than 0.3. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated. Conclusions This is the first normative multicenter study conducted in Latin America aiming to create norms for the Verbal Fluency Test; this study will have important outcomes for the future of neuropsychology in the region.

Steinert's myotonic dystrophy (SMD) is a systemic-type dominant autosomal disease, with variable clinical expression. Recent magnetic resonance studies conducted in patients with this disease have described the presence of lesions in the white matter of the brain and there have also been reports of a correlation between these and the presence of cognitive disorders. Nevertheless, very little work has been published about the electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in this disease.In this study both conventional and quantitative EEG were performed on 10 patients with SMD aged between 17 and 50 years.90% of the patients showed a posterior alpha rhythm that was disorganised but which reacted on opening and closing the eyes, as well as the presence of continuous theta activity over the base activity that was bilaterally more pronounced towards the frontal-central regions. In the quantitative analysis we observed an increase in the absolute energies for the slow bands and a decrease for the fast bands on the frequency spectrum. In most patients (80%) spectral peaks were found within the theta range of frequencies as a correlate of the slow activity observed in the conventional analysis.It can be concluded that a quantitative EEG could be useful in the study of what, for many years, has been considered to be a 'neuromuscular' disease and that the use of other more precise methods, such as cerebral coherence and brain electrical tomography, could shed new light on the functional management of these patients.

Lipoprotein (a) is considered an independent cardiovascular risk factor.To study lipoprotein (a) levels in children of 18 years old or less with or without family history of coronary artery disease.Forty four children aged between 3 and 18 years old with a family history of coronary artery disease and 44 age and sex matched controls were studied. A fasting blood sample was obtained to measure total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, A1 and B apoproteins and lipoprotein (a).Compared to controls, children with a family history of coronary disease had higher total cholesterol (177 +/- 35 and 159 +/- 23 mg/dl respectively), LDL cholesterol (112 +/- 34 and 94 +/- 21 mg/dl respectively), triglycerides (89 +/- 38 and 71 +/- 25 mg/dl respectively), apoprotein B (85 +/- 17 and 65 +/- 13 mg/dl respectively) and lipoprotein (a) (40 +/- 50 and 22 +/- 31 mg/dl respectively). Thirty two percent of children with positive family history had lipoprotein (a) levels over 30 mg/dl, compared to 23% of controls.Children with family history of coronary artery disease have higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (a) than matched controls.

The distribution of serum cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides (TG), and the prevalence of risk-considered values were studied in school children from Concepción, Chile (6 to 15 years old; 326 boys, 226 girls). The mean TC levels were 146 mg/dl for boys and 154 mg/dl for girls but 9.1% of the sampled children had TC values between 175 and 190 mg/dl, and 10% were over 190 mg/dl. Mean LDL-C was 83 mg/dl in boys and 89 mg/dl in girls; 6% of samples showed values between 130 and 159 mg/dl, and 1.3% over 160 mg/dl. Mean HDL-C was 46 mg/dl for boys and 48 mg/dl for girls. The mean TG values were 80 mg/dl for boys and 93 mg/dl for girls.