Multinational neuropsychological testing: performance of children and adults

We obtained neuropsychological assessment data on persons from five countries whose ages range from 8 to 90 years. Participants were assessed in four languages. The results from the multivariate analyses indicate that reaction-time measures obtained in tests of sustained attention are minimally affected by country of origin and level of education. In contrast, tests assessing the ability to focus attention and solve a problem, to shift strategies, and to inhibit an automatic response tendency differ significantly by country and level of education. Most of these differences tend to disappear at about the age of 54. The data provide partial support for the hypothesis of commonality of some neuropsychological functions across cultures.