Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST): Normative data for Spanish-speaking pediatric population
J C Arango-Lasprilla1,2, D Rivera2, E Nicholls3
1IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
Insights
This study provides the largest normative data for the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST) in Spanish-speaking children. These findings offer a crucial tool for accurate neuropsychological assessments in pediatric populations across Latin America and Spain.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST) is a key tool for assessing executive functions.
- Normative data is essential for accurate interpretation of cognitive tests in diverse populations.
- Existing M-WCST normative data for Spanish-speaking pediatric groups is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish comprehensive normative data for the M-WCST in a large, multi-country Spanish-speaking pediatric sample.
- To provide a reliable reference for interpreting M-WCST performance in children from Latin America and Spain.
- To facilitate more accurate neuropsychological evaluations of executive functions in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A large sample of 4,373 healthy children from nine Latin American countries and Spain participated.
- Participants completed the M-WCST as part of a broader neuropsychological assessment.
- Normative data were generated using multiple linear regressions, considering age, age squared, sex, and parental education level.
Main Results:
- Age demonstrated a significant linear effect on all M-WCST scores, with improvements in categories correct and decreases in errors as age increased.
- Age squared, parental education, and sex showed significant effects on various M-WCST scores in specific countries.
- Significant variations in M-WCST performance were observed across different countries and demographic factors.
Conclusions:
- This study presents the most extensive normative data for the M-WCST in Spanish-speaking children globally.
- The generated norms will significantly enhance the accuracy of M-WCST interpretation for neuropsychologists working with pediatric populations in these regions.
- This research addresses a critical need for culturally and linguistically appropriate neuropsychological assessment tools.
Objective:
To generate normative data for the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST) in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations.
Method:
The sample consisted of 4,373 healthy children from nine countries in Latin America (Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico) and Spain. Each participant was administered the M-WCST as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. Number of categories, perseverative errors, and total error scores were normed using multiple linear regressions and standard deviations of residual values. Age, age2, sex, and mean level of parental education (MLPE) were included as predictors in the analyses.
Results:
The final multiple linear regression models indicated main effects for age on all scores, such that the number of categories correct increased and total number of perseverative errors and total number of errors decrease linearly as a function of age. Age2 had a significant effect in Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, and Spain for numbers of categories; a significant effect for number of perseverative errors in Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Spain; and a significant effect for number of total errors in Chile, Cuba, Peru, and Spain. Models showed an effect for MLPE in Cuba (total errors), Ecuador (categories and total errors), Mexico (all scores), Paraguay (perseverative errors and total error), and Spain (categories and total errors). Sex affected number of total errors for Ecuador.
Conclusions:
This is the largest Spanish-speaking pediatric normative study in the world, and it will allow neuropsychologists from these countries to have a more accurate way to interpret the M-WCST with pediatric populations.
