The Neuropsychological Norms for the U.S.-Mexico Border Region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) Project: Overview and considerations for life span research and evidence-based practice

Monica Rivera Mindt, María J. Marquine, Maral Aghvinian, Alejandra Morlett Paredes, Lily Kamalyan, Paola Suárez, Anne Heaton, Travis M. Scott, Amanda Gooding, Mirella Diaz-Santos, Anya Umlauf, Michael J. Taylor, Lidia Artiola i Fortuny, Robert K. Heaton, Mariana Cherner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: This paper summarizes the findings of the Neuropsychological Norms for the U.S.-Mexico Border Region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) Project and offers a roadmap for future research. Methods: The NP-NUMBRS project represents the largest and most comprehensive co-normed neuropsychological battery to date for native Spanish-speaking healthy adults from the U.S. (California/Arizona)-Mexico borderland region (N = 254; ages 19–60 years). These norms provide demographic adjustments for tests across numerous domains (i.e., verbal fluency, processing speed, attention/working memory, executive function, episodic memory [learning and delayed recall], visuospatial, and fine motor skills). Conclusions: This project: 1) shows that the NP-NUMBRS norms consistently outperformed previously published norms for English-speaking non-Hispanic (White and African-American) adults in identifying impairment; 2) explores the role of Spanish-English bilingualism in test performance; and 3) provides support for the diagnostic validity of these norms in detecting HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment. Study limitations include the limited assessment of sociocultural variables and generalizability (e.g., other Latina/o populations, age limit [19 − 60 years]). Future research is needed to: 1) investigate these norms with U.S.-dwelling Spanish-speakers of non-Mexican heritage and other clinical subpopulations; 2) expand coverage of cognitive domains (e.g. language, visuospatial); 3) develop large normative datasets for children and older Latina/o populations; 4) examine how sociocultural factors impact performance (e.g., bilingualism, acculturation); 5) investigate these norms’ diagnostic and ecological validity; and 6) develop norms for neurocognitive change across time. It is hoped that the NP-NUMBRS norms will aid researchers and clinicians working with U.S.-dwelling Spanish-speakers from the U.S.-Mexico borderland to conduct research and evidence-based neuropsychological evaluations in a more culturally responsive and ethical manner.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)466-480
Number of pages15
JournalClinical Neuropsychologist
Volume35
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Keywords

  • Latina/o
  • Spanish-speakers
  • cultural neuropsychology
  • demographic adjustments
  • norms

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