2008 Grants - Strutt

Validation of a Spanish Neuropsychological Dementia Battery

Adriana M. Strutt, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

2008 New Investigator Research Grant

In the United States, individuals of Hispanic ethnicity may be at a higher risk of dementia as compared with the general population, partly because such individuals are more likely to have related health concerns such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Studies have also found that Hispanic individuals are less likely to seek medical care, partly because of a language barrier.

Although Spanish-language tests of cognitive function have been created in an attempt to overcome the language barrier, most of these tests have not been validated in independent studies. Furthermore, the results of individual tests among Hispanic people are usually compared with standard data collected in the non-Hispanic population, even though the demographic profiles and risk factors for dementia are different.

Adriana M. Strutt, Ph.D., and colleagues are working to validate a comprehensive test for dementia in Spanish-speaking individuals between the ages of 50 and 79 years. Their validation study will assess cognitive, neurological and psychological function in Spanish-speaking individuals residing in the greater Houston area. The goal of this study is to establish a validated test for dementia for Spanish-speaking individuals that can be used by clinicians in a wide range of settings.