Neuropsychological test performance: a study of non-Hispanic White elderly

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2001 Oct;23(5):643-9. doi: 10.1076/jcen.23.5.643.1246.

Abstract

This study examined within-group differences in neuropsychological test performance between US versus foreign-born English-speaking White elders. Participants included 193 randomly selected English-speaking elderly community residents who self-identified as non-Hispanic White. Participants were classified as US (n = 106) or foreign-born (n = 87). All participants were independently diagnosed by a physician as nondemented. After controlling for years of education, participants born in the United States obtained significantly higher scores on measures of verbal abstract reasoning, naming, and fluency than foreign-born elders. These results suggest that although non-Hispanics White are often treated as a homogeneous group, performance differences exist even within this group. Effects of acculturation level and language use on cognitive styles may help explain these findings.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged / psychology*
  • Cognition*
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison
  • Educational Status
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Random Allocation
  • United States / ethnology
  • Verbal Behavior*
  • White People*