A new verbal learning and memory test for English- and Spanish-speaking older people

Word-list verbal learning and memory tests with appropriate normative data can be highly sensitive to cognitive decline, but there are significant lim itations of such tests available for use with older Hispanic and non-Hispan ic people living in the US. The purpose of this study was to (1) create a n ew word-list learning and memory test in both English and Spanish and, (2) validate it with respect to sensitivity to cognitive impairment, and (3) de velop statistical corrections for the effects of significant demographic va riables, including ethnicity, language of administration, age, education, a nd gender. A community dwelling sample of 801 English- and Spanish-speaking older people was employed. Recall on learning trials and the delayed recal l trial of the word-list learning test were strongly related to the Mini-Me ntal State Examination (MMSE), moderately related to age, and weakly relate d to gender and education. The relationship of word-list variables and the MMSE did not significantly differ across ethnicity/language groups. Regress ion coefficients for demographic variables were used in a statistical corre ction formula to adjust raw word-list scores, and then to develop specific percentile cut-off values.