Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo): An Extension of Normative Data to Elderly Individuals

The aim of this study is to update and expand the normative data for the Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo) to include older adults. As the population continues to age, comprehensive assessments of pragmatic ability become increasingly important, as deficits in this area can significantly impair social functioning. The ABaCo is a validated instrument designed to evaluate communicative-pragmatic ability in individuals with brain injuries, as well as neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders. Previously published normative data covered individuals aged 15 to 75 years. In this study, we present updated norms for that age range, based on an Italian enlarged sample (N = 409), and provide additional normative data for individuals aged 75 to 86 years (N = 33). Given that prior research has shown ABaCo performance declines with age and lower educational attainment, the normative data were stratified by both age and education level. Accurate identification of pragmatic-communicative impairments is essential in clinical settings, especially for the development of targeted interventions. These extended norms aim to improve the clinical utility and diagnostic accuracy of the ABaCo.