INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 11 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 10:45 am - 12:00 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology \| Education/Training \| Professional Practice Issues Final Abstract #108 Comparison of Naming Performance on the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) Based on the Primary Language Spoken Natalia Witkowska, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, United States Stephen Docherty, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, United States Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience Keyword 1: language Keyword 2: naming Objective: While underperformance on naming tests can be indicative of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, other factors, such as multilingualism and language preference, can impact one’s performance on these measures, leading to artificially low scores. Per the US Census Bureau, approximately 21.7% of people residing in the USA speak a language other than English at home. The lack of availability of language-sensitive neuropsychological tests and their norms is a known problem in neuropsychology and a current area of focus. The lack of appropriate tools and comparison groups can make serving patients whose primary language is not English challenging and problematic. This study aimed to investigate whether there is a difference in naming performance between individuals whose primary language is English and those who primarily speak a different language on the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT). Participants and Methods: Participants completed comprehensive evaluations at Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers across the USA, as a part of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NIA/NIH Grant U24 AG072122). As a part of these evaluations, participants were administered a naming task (MINT) in English. Participants included 11055 U.S. Adults (Age: M=69.5, SD=10.1; Education M=16.33, SD=6.66; Gender: Male = 43.21%, Female= 56.78%; Race: White= 79.6%, Black or African American= 16.7%, American Indian or Alaskan Native= 1.1%, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander=.1%, Asian=2.5%; Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino= 5%). The sample consisted of individuals whose reported primary language, defined as the language used the most frequently, was Cantonese (n=35), English (n=10566), Japanese (n=8), Mandarin (n=71), Russian (n=4), and Spanish (n=371). Each participant’s MINT total scores from their first administration were compared for each non-English language group to the performance of primarily English speakers through a one-way ANOVA. Further, a multiple linear regression was run stepwise to assess the R²values between the demographic factors (i.e., age, education, sex, primary language, and race) and MINT total score. Results: Significant differences were found between the total scores of the English and non-English groups. Results of the ANOVA revealed significant variation between the primary spoken language of individuals, F(5, 11054)= 97.78, p <.01. Tukey’s post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences between English and Spanish (p<.01); English and Mandarin (p<.01), English and Cantonese (p<.01), and English and Japanese (p<.01). A significant difference was not found between Russian and English speakers. The following R² were found (Language =.039; Race= .007; Sex=.006, Age=.005, Education=.004). Conclusions: While there appears to be a significant difference in performance on the MINT dependent on primary spoken language, further research is needed to understand better factors that influence performance on this test. Results from the multiple regression analysis suggest that while demographic factors have some impact on the performance on the MINT, they account for a total of only .061 of the variability in scores. Importantly, language was the most weighted of the examined factors, highlighting that primary language influences test performance to a degree. Limitations of this study were the low number of individuals whose primary language was not English.

Poster

02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues

Final Abstract #108

Comparison of Naming Performance on the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) Based on the Primary Language Spoken

Natalia Witkowska, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, United States
Stephen Docherty, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, United States

Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience

Keyword 1: language
Keyword 2: naming

Objective:

While underperformance on naming tests can be indicative of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, other factors, such as multilingualism and language preference, can impact one’s performance on these measures, leading to artificially low scores. Per the US Census Bureau, approximately 21.7% of people residing in the USA speak a language other than English at home. The lack of availability of language-sensitive neuropsychological tests and their norms is a known problem in neuropsychology and a current area of focus. The lack of appropriate tools and comparison groups can make serving patients whose primary language is not English challenging and problematic. This study aimed to investigate whether there is a difference in naming performance between individuals whose primary language is English and those who primarily speak a different language on the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT).

Participants and Methods:

Participants completed comprehensive evaluations at Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers across the USA, as a part of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NIA/NIH Grant U24 AG072122). As a part of these evaluations, participants were administered a naming task (MINT) in English. Participants included 11055 U.S. Adults (Age: M=69.5, SD=10.1; Education M=16.33, SD=6.66; Gender: Male = 43.21%, Female= 56.78%; Race: White= 79.6%, Black or African American= 16.7%, American Indian or Alaskan Native= 1.1%, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander=.1%, Asian=2.5%; Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino= 5%). The sample consisted of individuals whose reported primary language, defined as the language used the most frequently, was Cantonese (n=35), English (n=10566), Japanese (n=8), Mandarin (n=71), Russian (n=4), and Spanish (n=371). Each participant’s MINT total scores from their first administration were compared for each non-English language group to the performance of primarily English speakers through a one-way ANOVA. Further, a multiple linear regression was run stepwise to assess the R²values between the demographic factors (i.e., age, education, sex, primary language, and race) and MINT total score.

Results:

Significant differences were found between the total scores of the English and non-English groups. Results of the ANOVA revealed significant variation between the primary spoken language of individuals, F(5, 11054)= 97.78, p <.01. Tukey’s post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences between English and Spanish (p<.01); English and Mandarin (p<.01), English and Cantonese (p<.01), and English and Japanese (p<.01). A significant difference was not found between Russian and English speakers. The following R² were found (Language =.039; Race= .007; Sex=.006, Age=.005, Education=.004).

Conclusions:

While there appears to be a significant difference in performance on the MINT dependent on primary spoken language, further research is needed to understand better factors that influence performance on this test. Results from the multiple regression analysis suggest that while demographic factors have some impact on the performance on the MINT, they account for a total of only .061 of the variability in scores. Importantly, language was the most weighted of the examined factors, highlighting that primary language influences test performance to a degree. Limitations of this study were the low number of individuals whose primary language was not English.