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Introduction: In the context of neurological disorders, language assessment is traditionally based on the use of the standard language of the community in which the assessment is performed. Dialectal variables constitute a “forgotten” topic. This review aims to provide resources and working guidelines to overcome this limitation. Development: The study was conducted as follows: 1) review of basic concepts of dialectology (language, dialect, isogloss line, idiolect, register, “standard variant,” bilingualism); 2) characterisation of Spanish and Catalan dialectologies and search for online resources for the development of neurological assessment tools; 3) ad hoc search on the PubMed database (keywords: “dialect,” “aphasia,” and “multilingual”). Conclusions: We provide online resources to promote adequate development of assessment tools in Spanish and Catalan, accounting for dialectal considerations. We propose a set of working guidelines for the introduction of dialectal variables in language tests to ensure their ultimate objective: to evaluate the real use of the language, and not cultural knowledge of the standard language. Resumen: Introducción: La evaluación del lenguaje en el contexto de las alteraciones neurológicas se fundamenta, tradicionalmente, en el uso de la lengua estándar de la comunidad en la que tiene lugar. Las variables dialectales constituyen un tema «olvidado». El objetivo de esta revisión es aportar recursos y guías de trabajo para superar esta limitación. Desarrollo: (1) Revisión de conceptos propios de la dialectología (lengua, dialecto, líneas isoglosas, idiolecto, registro, «variante estándar», bilingüismo). (2) Caracterización fundamental de las dialectologías española y catalana y búsqueda de recursos online para el desarrollo de instrumentos en neurología. (3) Búsqueda ad hoc en PubMed (palabras clave: dialect, aphasia, multilingual). Conclusiones: (1) Se aportan recursos online para promover un adecuado desarrollo de instrumentos de evaluación en lenguas castellana y catalana, considerando aspectos dialectales. (2) Se aportan unas guías de trabajo orientadas a la introducción de variables dialectales en los test de lenguaje para asegurar su objetivo último: evaluar el uso real de la lengua, y no el conocimiento cultural de la lengua estándar.

Introduction: RBANS is a short neuropsychological battery which has shown to be sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment in degenerative and non-degenerative diseases. It has been translated and adapted to different languages and is widely used in other countries, but no Spanish version has been published.The objective was to make a valid translation of the RBANS to Spanish, and obtain a version adapted to the Spanish population. Patients and methods: The study included 73 subjects: 25 males with a mean age of 54 years and 9.72 years of education, and 48 females with a mean age of 53 years and 10.29 years of education. The battery was translated using the translation-back-translation method (with slight differences), followed by a descriptive pilot study in a sample of the normal population. Results: An overall reliability coefficient with a Cronbach alpha of 0.73 was obtained in the translation and adaptation of the RBANS, form A (1998). Statistically significant positive correlations between the indices were obtained. Conclusions: The version translated and adapted to Spanish performs similarly to the original version. Resumen: Introducción: La RBANS es una batería neuropsicológica breve que se ha mostrado sensible para la detección de trastorno cognitivo en patología degenerativa y no degenerativa. Ha sido traducida y adaptada a diversas lenguas y es ampliamente utilizada en otros países, pero no se ha publicado ninguna versión española.El objetivo es realizar una traducción válida al español de la RBANS y obtener una versión adaptada a la población española. Pacientes y métodos: Participaron 73 sujetos, 25 hombres, con una edad media de 54 años y escolaridad de 9,72, y 48 mujeres, con edad media de 53 y escolaridad 10,29. Se realizó una traducción mediante el método traducción-retrotraducción (con matices) y posteriormente se realizó un estudio descriptivo piloto en una muestra de población normal. Resultados: En la traducción y la adaptación de la batería neuropsicológica RBANS forma A (1998) se obtuvo un coeficiente de fiabilidad global con una alfa de Cronbach de 0,73. Se obtuvieron correlaciones positivas, estadísticamente significativas entre los índices. Conclusiones: La versión traducida y adaptada al castellano se comporta de forma similar a la versión original. Keywords: Adaptation, Cognitive functions, Neuropsychology, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Spanish version, Validation, Palabras clave: Adaptación, Funciones cognitivas, Neuropsicología, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Validación, Versión española

Resumen: Introducción: La RBANS es una batería neuropsicológica breve que se ha mostrado sensible para la detección de trastorno cognitivo en patología degenerativa y no degenerativa. Ha sido traducida y adaptada a diversas lenguas y es ampliamente utilizada en otros países, pero no se ha publicado ninguna versión española.El objetivo es realizar una traducción válida al español de la RBANS y obtener una versión adaptada a la población española. Pacientes y métodos: Participaron 73 sujetos, 25 hombres, con una edad media de 54 años y escolaridad de 9,72, y 48 mujeres, con edad media de 53 y escolaridad 10,29. Se realizó una traducción mediante el método traducción-retrotraducción (con matices) y posteriormente se realizó un estudio descriptivo piloto en una muestra de población normal. Resultados: En la traducción y la adaptación de la batería neuropsicológica RBANS forma A (1998) se obtuvo un coeficiente de fiabilidad global con una alfa de Cronbach de 0,73. Se obtuvieron correlaciones positivas, estadísticamente significativas entre los índices. Conclusiones: La versión traducida y adaptada al castellano se comporta de forma similar a la versión original. Abstract: Introduction: RBANS is a short neuropsychological battery which has shown to be sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment in degenerative and non-degenerative diseases. It has been translated and adapted to different languages and is widely used in other countries, but no Spanish version has been published.The objective was to make a valid translation of the RBANS to Spanish, and obtain a version adapted to the Spanish population. Patients and methods: The study included 73 subjects: 25 males with a mean age of 54 years and 9.72 years of education, and 48 females with a mean age of 53 years and 10.29 years of education. The battery was translated using the translation-back-translation method (with slight differences), followed by a descriptive pilot study in a sample of the normal population. Results: An overall reliability coefficient with a Cronbach alpha of 0.73 was obtained in the translation and adaptation of the RBANS, Form A (1998). Statistically significant positive correlations between the indices were obtained. Conclusions: The version translated and adapted to Spanish performs similarly to the original version. Palabras clave: Adaptación, Funciones cognitivas, Neuropsicología, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Validación, Versión española, Keywords: Adaptation, Cognitive functions, Neuropsychology, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Spanish version, Validation

Introduction: Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's Disease experience physical and emotional burnout that can be treated with non-pharmacological interventions., Aim: Assess the efficacy of a group cognitive behavioural psychotherapeutic intervention, for improving well-being perception in caregivers, compared to a support group. Also, we assessed its efficacy after a follow-up period of 1-year post-intervention., Subjects and Methods: A multicentre, open, quasi experimental study with control group was conducted. 221 caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's Disease, with mild to moderate-severe dementia, were non-randomly assigned to either IG-intervention group: psychotherapeutic program without active follow-up period (n = 80); IGF-intervention group: psychotherapeutic program with active follow-up period (n = 78); or CG-control group: support program with active follow-up period (n = 63). The psychotherapeutic intervention (IG and IGF) is a structured cognitive behavioural group program, of one weekly session over four months. The CG had the same duration. Caregiver's burden, mood disorders, resilience, perceived functional social support and quality of life were measured at baseline, post-intervention and after 1-year follow-up., Results: At post-intervention, statistically significant improvements were observed in the IG and IGF compared to CG in caregiver burden (p = 0,0216). After one year follow-up, significant improvements were found in IGF compared to IG in emotional state (p = 0,0271), resilience (p = 0,0018), perceived social support (p = 0,014); quality of life (p = 0,0001) and mental health (p = 0,0002); and in CG versus GI in emotional state and social support (p < 0,05)., Conclusions: These results support the efficacy of this psychotherapeutic intervention for improving well-being (burden), and the supportive follow-up period for increasing its efficacy.

Introduction: In the context of neurological disorders, language assessment is traditionally based on the use of the standard language of the community in which the assessment is performed. Dialectal variables constitute a "forgotten" topic. This review aims to provide resources and working guidelines to overcome this limitation., Development: The study was conducted as follows: 1) review of basic concepts of dialectology (language, dialect, isogloss line, idiolect, register, "standard variant," bilingualism); 2) characterisation of Spanish and Catalan dialectologies and search for online resources for the development of neurological assessment tools; 3) ad hoc search on the PubMed database (keywords: "dialect," "aphasia," and "multilingual")., Conclusions: We provide online resources to promote adequate development of assessment tools in Spanish and Catalan, accounting for dialectal considerations. We propose a set of working guidelines for the introduction of dialectal variables in language tests to ensure their ultimate objective: to evaluate the real use of the language, and not cultural knowledge of the standard language., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: RBANS is a short neuropsychological battery which has shown to be sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment in degenerative and non-degenerative diseases. It has been translated and adapted to different languages and is widely used in other countries, but no Spanish version has been published. The objective was to make a valid translation of the RBANS to Spanish, and obtain a version adapted to the Spanish population., Patients and Methods: The study included 73 subjects: 25 males with a mean age of 54 years and 9.72 years of education, and 48 females with a mean age of 53 years and 10.29 years of education. The battery was translated using the translation-back-translation method (with slight differences), followed by a descriptive pilot study in a sample of the normal population., Results: An overall reliability coefficient with a Cronbach alpha of 0.73 was obtained in the translation and adaptation of the RBANS, Form A (1998). Statistically significant positive correlations between the indices were obtained., Conclusions: The version translated and adapted to Spanish performs similarly to the original version., (© 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Lexical fluency tests are frequently used in clinical practice to assess language and executive function. As part of the Spanish multicenter normative studies (NEURONORMA project), we provide age- and education-adjusted norms for three semantic fluency tasks (animals, fruit and vegetables, and kitchen tools), three formal lexical tasks (words beginning with P, M, and R), and three excluded letter fluency tasks (excluded A, E, and S). The sample consists of 346 participants who are cognitively normal, community dwelling, and ranging in age from 50 to 94 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education-adjusted scaled scores by applying regression-based adjustments. The current norms should provide clinically useful data for evaluating elderly Spanish people. These data may also be of considerable use for comparisons with other international normative studies. Finally, these norms should help improve the interpretation of verbal fluency tasks and allow for greater diagnostic accuracy.

As part of the NEURONORMA project, we provide age- and education-adjusted norms for the Stroop color-word interference test (SCWT)-Golden version and the Tower of London-Drexel University version (TOL(DX)). The sample consists of 344 and 347 participants, respectively, who are cognitively normal, community dwelling, and ranging in age from 50 to 90 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education-adjusted scaled scores by applying regression-based adjustments. Demographic variables, age, and education significantly affect scores of the SWCT and TOL(DX), sex, however, was found to be unrelated to performance in this sample. The normative data presented here were obtained from the same study sample as all the other NEURONORMA tests. In addition, the same statistical procedures for data analyses were applied. These co-normed data allow clinicians to compare scores from one test with all tests.

The Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) and the free and cued selective reminding test (FCSRT) are frequently used in clinical practice. The ROCF assesses visual perception, constructional praxis, and visuospatial memory, and the FCSRT assesses verbal learning and memory. As part of the Spanish Normative Studies (NEURONORMA), we provide age- and education-adjusted norms for the ROCF (copy and memory) and for the FCSRT. The sample consists of 332 and 340 participants, respectively, who are cognitively normal, community dwelling, and ranging in age from 50 to 94 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education-adjusted scaled scores by applying regression-based adjustments. Although age and education affected the score of the ROCF and FCSRT, sex was found to be unrelated in this normal sample. The normative data presented here were obtained from the same study sample as all other NEURONORMA norms and the same statistical procedures were applied. These co-normed data will allow clinicians to compare scores from one test with all the tests included in the project.

This paper describes the methods and sample characteristics of a series of Spanish normative studies (The NEURONORMA project). The primary objective of our research was to collect normative and psychometric information on a sample of people aged over 49 years. The normative information was based on a series of selected, but commonly used, neuropsychological tests covering attention, language, visuo-perceptual abilities, constructional tasks, memory, and executive functions. A sample of 356 community dwelling individuals was studied. Demographics, socio-cultural, and medical data were collected. Cognitive normality was validated via informants and a cognitive screening test. Norms were calculated for midpoint age groups. Effects of age, education, and sex were determined. The use of these norms should improve neuropsychological diagnostic accuracy in older Spanish subjects. These data may also be of considerable use for comparisons with other normative studies. Limitations of these normative data are also commented on.

As part of the Spanish Multicenter Normative Studies (NEURONORMA project), we provide age- and education-adjusted norms for the Boston naming test and Token test. The sample consists of 340 and 348 participants, respectively, who are cognitively normal, community-dwelling, and ranging in age from 50 to 94 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education-adjusted scaled scores by applying regression-based adjustments. Age and education affected the score of the both tests, but sex was found to be unrelated to naming and verbal comprehension efficiency. Our norms should provide clinically useful data for evaluating elderly Spaniards. The normative data presented here were obtained from the same study sample as all the other NEURONORMA norms and the same statistical procedures for data analyses were applied. These co-normed data allow clinicians to compare scores from one test with all tests.

The accurate diagnosis of dementias and the screening of cognitive impairment constitute a key to attend to the sociodemographical needs. This paper states the aims of screening and diagnosis, the tools used and their main psychometric features, especially, reliability and validity. The need to critically review the publications on this subject is highlighted and the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) are mentioned. In addition, some proposals and recommendations from literature are cited and reviewed. Finally, the tests studied and used most by Spanish neurologists are commented on. The MMSE (Mini-Mental Status Examination), the MIS (Memory Impairment Screen) and the Eurotest stand out.

Introduction: The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is one of the most widely used tests in neuropsychological evaluation of language disorders, specifically when testing for anomia. The aim of this study is to establish preliminary normative data for the second edition of the BNT for young spanish adults (age range between 20 and 49 years)., Methods: A total of 160 subjects (60 % female and 40 % male) were administered the BNT. Mean age was 33.89 years (SD: 9.45) and average number of years of education was 13.98 (SD: 3.97). The version used in the present study is the second edition of the BNT (Kaplan et al., 2001) which includes two new components: multiple choice and error typology., Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics of the test's variables. Lineal regression to establish the possible degree of influence of the variables age and education on test performance., Results: The sample's mean score was 51.84. Education significantly influences the final score (B: 0.476; p= 0.001). Multiple choice was effective in 89 % of cases., Discussion: The present results will allow proper clinical interpretation of results in the BNT 2001 version in young Spanish adults.

Introduction: By abstract abilities is understood the ability of comprehend relations identifying the essential components and taking out from them a common feature. Its evaluation constitutes a great challenge for neuropsychology. Several studies have showed the influence of age and formal education in the performance of tests assessing these abilities., Aim: To analyse the WAIS-style abstract abilities included in the abbreviated version of the Barcelona Test determining the influence of and formal education and obtaining more normative data for a Spanish population., Method: A sample of 264 subjects was randomly selected. The subtests of the Barcelona Test were administered in a single session to every subject. We selected the scores obtained in Arithmetic Problems (raw and timed), Similarities, Digit Symbol and Block Design (raw and timed)., Results: The analysis of the variance showed statistically significant results of the selected items according to age and formal education. The formal education, as the lineal regression showed, resulted significant for all the items, being the Arithmetic Problems the only subtests not influenced significantly by the formal education., Conclusion: The results obtained in this study are in general concordant to the ones of the reviewed bibliography.