Assessment battery for communication (ABaCo): normative data

Behav Res Methods. 2012 Sep;44(3):845-61. doi: 10.3758/s13428-011-0174-9.

Abstract

The Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo) was introduced to evaluate pragmatic abilities in patients with cerebral lesions. The battery is organized into five evaluation scales focusing on separate components of pragmatic competence. In the present study, we present normative data for individuals 15-75 years of age (N = 300). The sample was stratified by age, sex, and years of education, according to Italian National Institute of Statistics indications in order to be representative of the general national population. Since performance on the ABaCo decreases with age and lower years of education, the norms were stratified for both age and education. The ABaCo is a valuable tool in clinical practice; the normative data provided here will enable clinicians to determine different kinds and specific levels of communicative impairments more precisely.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aptitude*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Communication Disorders / classification
  • Communication Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Comprehension
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linguistics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data*
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reference Values
  • Semantics
  • Speech Production Measurement / statistics & numerical data
  • Theory of Mind
  • Young Adult