RESUMO
Introduction In clinical practice, patients with the same degree and configuration of hearing loss, or even with normal audiometric thresholds, present substantially different performances in terms of speech perception. This probably happens because other factors, in addition to auditory sensitivity, interfere with speech perception. Thus, studies are needed to investigate the performance of listeners in unfavorable listening conditions to identify the processes that interfere in the speech perception of these subjects. Objective To verify the influence of age, temporal processing, and working memory on speech recognition in noise. Methods Thirty-eight adult and elderly individuals with normal hearing thresholds participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups: The adult group (G1), composed of 10 individuals aged 21 to 33 years, and the elderly group (G2), with 28 participants aged 60 to 81 years. They underwent audiological assessment with the Portuguese Sentence List Test, Gaps-in-Noise test, Digit Span Memory test, Running Span Task, Corsi Block-Tapping test, and Visual Pattern test. Results The Running Span Task score proved to be a statistically significant predictor of the listening-in-noise variable. This result showed that the difference in performance between groups G1 and G2 in relation to listening in noise is due not only to aging, but also to changes in working memory. Conclusion The study showed that working memory is a predictor of listening performance in noise in individuals with normal hearing, and that this task can provide important information for investigation in individuals who have difficulty hearing in unfavorable environments.
RESUMO
Although many studies have shown the influence of education on cognition, the impact of low education on the various cognitive functions appears to differ. The hypothesis of the present study is that, with regards to language, the use of parameters derived from populations with 5-8 years of education leads to false-positive results. OBJECTIVE: to determine the influence of low education on the language tasks assessed by the MTL-Brazil Battery. METHODS: 30 healthy adults with 2-4 years of education were submitted to the MTL-Br Battery, comprising 22 subtests. The data were submitted to descriptive statistical analysis for each subtest and Z-scores were then calculated based on the parameters of a population with 5-8 years of education. All participants would be considered impaired if the Battery had been applied according to published normative criteria for a population with 5-8 years of education. RESULTS: Separate analysis revealed that published scores for 17 out of the 22 Battery tasks were inappropriate for a population with 2-4 years of education. CONCLUSION: Education was found to effect performance for each of the language abilities differently. In addition, the study results can be applied to language assessments of individuals with 1-4 years of education using the MTL-Br battery, since this is the only language test for adults available in Brazil, and for which there are no normative data for low-educated subjects.
As funções cognitivas, dentre elas a linguagem, sofrem a interferência da escolaridade. A hipótese deste estudo é que mesmo o uso de parametros obtidos em populações de 5 a 8 anos de escolaridade pode levar a falsos-positivos em populações com escolaridade de 2 a 4 anos de estudo. OBJETIVO: Verificar a influência da baixa escolaridade nas tarefas linguísticas da bateria MTL-Br e obter dados que possam ser utilizados como parâmetros clínicos nas avaliações de indivíduos cérebro-lesados de baixa grau de escolaridade. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, em que foram avaliados 30 indivíduos normais de baixa escolaridade, de dois a quatro anos de estudo, com idade entre 19 e 60 anos, de ambos os sexos. Os indivíduos foram submetidos ao Mini-Exame do Estado Mental e Teste do Desenho do Relógio para fins de rastreio cognitivo. RESULTADOS: Todos os indivíduos que obtiveram escores compatíveis com os parâmetros de normalidade nestes dois testes foram submetidos à bateria MTL-Br. A avaliação seguiu estritamente as normas publicadas no instrumento original e o registro foi realizado nas folhas da própria bateria. CONCLUSÃO: No presente estudo evidenciamos a influência da escolaridade em tarefas linguísticas. Além disso, foi possível obter dados que poderão ser utilizados como parâmetros clínicos nas avaliações de indivíduos cérebro-lesados de baixa escolaridade.
RESUMO
Abstract Although many studies have shown the influence of education on cognition, the impact of low education on the various cognitive functions appears to differ. The hypothesis of the present study is that, with regards to language, the use of parameters derived from populations with 5-8 years of education leads to false-positive results. Objective: to determine the influence of low education on the language tasks assessed by the MTL-Brazil Battery Methods: 30 healthy adults with 2-4 years of education were submitted to the MTL-Br Battery, comprising 22 subtests. The data were submitted to descriptive statistical analysis for each subtest and Z-scores were then calculated based on the parameters of a population with 5-8 years of education. All participants would be considered impaired if the Battery had been applied according to published normative criteria for a population with 5-8 years of education. Results: Separate analysis revealed that published scores for 17 out of the 22 Battery tasks were inappropriate for a population with 2-4 years of education. Conclusion: Education was found to effect performance for each of the language abilities differently. In addition, the study results can be applied to language assessments of individuals with 1-4 years of education using the MTL-Br battery, since this is the only language test for adults available in Brazil, and for which there are no normative data for low-educated subjects.
Resumo As funções cognitivas, dentre elas a linguagem, sofrem a interferência da escolaridade. A hipótese deste estudo é que mesmo o uso de parametros obtidos em populações de 5 a 8 anos de escolaridade pode levar a falsos-positivos em populações com escolaridade de 2 a 4 anos de estudo. Objetivo: Verificar a influência da baixa escolaridade nas tarefas linguísticas da bateria MTL-Br e obter dados que possam ser utilizados como parâmetros clínicos nas avaliações de indivíduos cérebro-lesados de baixa grau de escolaridade. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, em que foram avaliados 30 indivíduos normais de baixa escolaridade, de dois a quatro anos de estudo, com idade entre 19 e 60 anos, de ambos os sexos. Os indivíduos foram submetidos ao Mini-Exame do Estado Mental e Teste do Desenho do Relógio para fins de rastreio cognitivo. Resultados: Todos os indivíduos que obtiveram escores compatíveis com os parâmetros de normalidade nestes dois testes foram submetidos à bateria MTL-Br. A avaliação seguiu estritamente as normas publicadas no instrumento original e o registro foi realizado nas folhas da própria bateria. Conclusão: No presente estudo evidenciamos a influência da escolaridade em tarefas linguísticas. Além disso, foi possível obter dados que poderão ser utilizados como parâmetros clínicos nas avaliações de indivíduos cérebro-lesados de baixa escolaridade.