[French adaptation of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test]

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Memory deficits affect numerous patients in clinical and research settings.
• The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) is crucial for longitudinal assessment due to its parallel forms, preventing learning effects.
• A French version of the HVLT was needed as none was previously available.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) into French.
• To create a reliable tool for longitudinal evaluation of memory disorders in French-speaking populations.
• To establish a French equivalent of a widely used memory assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• 180 healthy subjects participated, divided into 6 groups of 30.
• The French version of the HVLT, comprising 12 words across 3 semantic categories, was administered orally.
• The test included immediate recall, delayed recall (after 20 minutes), and a recognition task with distractors.

Main Results:

• Subject performance was equivalent across the six forms, with Form 3 excluded due to immediate recall differences.
• No significant differences were found in free recall, delayed free recall, or recognition among the remaining five forms.
• The French HVLT demonstrated consistent results across its parallel forms.

Conclusions:

• The French adaptation of the HVLT offers a valuable tool for longitudinal memory assessment in patients.
• This test can serve as a reference in European longitudinal clinical trials for memory disorders.
• Further standardization and validation are necessary to establish norms and provide sensitivity/specificity values.