THE EFFECT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACCULTURATION ON NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST-PERFORMANCE IN NORMAL AND HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship of acculturatio n to neuropsychological test performance among (1) medically healthy, neurologically normal African Americans (N = 170); and (2) HIV positiv e (HIV+) subgroups of African Americans and Whites (Ns = 20) matched o n age, education, sex, and HIV disease stage. Acculturation was measur ed through self report for all participants, and linguistic behavior ( Black English use) was assessed in a subset of medically healthy indiv iduals (N = 25). After controlling for the effects of age, education, and sex, medically healthy African Americans who reported less accultu ration obtained lower scores on the WAIS-R Information subtest and the Boston Naming Test than did more acculturated individuals. Black Engl ish use was associated with poor performance on Trails B and the WAIS- R Information subtest. HIV+ African Americans scored significantly low er than their HIV+ White counterparts on the Category Test, Trails B, WAIS-R Block Design and Vocabulary subtests, and the learning componen ts of the Story and Figure Memory Tests. However, after accounting for acculturation, ethnic group differences on all measures but Story Lea rning became nonsignificant. These results suggest that there are cult ural differences within ethnic groups that relate to neuropsychologica l test performance, and that accounting for acculturation may improve the diagnostic accuracy of certain neuropsychological tests.