2012 Articles

Using Contextual Analyses to Examine the Meaning of Neuropsychological Variables Across Samples of English-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking Older Adults

Siedlecki, Karen L.; Rundek, Tatjana; Elkind, Mitchell S.V.; Sacco, Ralph L.; Stern, Yaakov; Wright, Clinton B.

The meanings of several target neuropsychological variables, including measures of executive functioning, were examined using contextual analysis across a sample of English-speakers and a sample of Spanish-speakers. Results of the contextual analysis, which examined the contributions of the latent constructs of memory, psychomotor speed, visual spatial ability, and knowledge and comprehension, to the target neuropsychological variables indicate that each of the target variables likely reflects the unique contribution of several reference abilities. These findings provide evidence that the neuropsychological variables are multi-dimensional. The patterns of relations were similar across the samples of English and Spanish speakers.