Publication Abstract Display
Type: Poster
Title: Real-world validity of cross-cultural neuropsychological testing: Cognitive funcitoning and occupational level in India.
Authors: Joshi R, Marcotte TD, Liu A, Meyer R, Kamat R, Geiserman A, Heaton R, Grant I, Mehendale S, Ghate M
Date: 02-15-2012
Abstract:Background: Although neuropsychological (NP) tests have been predictive of occupational functioning in Western countries, this has not been explored in resource-limited settings where many factors influence educational and occupational attainment. Objective: To examine whether NP test performance predicts occupational attainment in an Indian cohort, after controlling for education. Method: 116 HIV seronegative controls with 6 to 12 years of education (a range in which participants could achieve a variety of occupational levels) were identified from a neuroAIDS study in Pune, Maharashtra, India, and completed an NP battery in Marathi. Mean age was 33.7 (8.2) years, education was 9.1 (1.7) years, and 59% were male. Mean unadjusted scaled scores (mSS) were used to estimate overall NP functioning. Job complexity was categorized using the 9-point Indian National Classification of Occupations scale, which ranks work according to responsibilities, skill level, etc. Results: Univariate analysis showed no effect for age and gender on occupational attainment, but there was a significant effect for education (R2 = 0.05, p = 0.02), and particularly for mSS (R2 = 0.143, p < 0.0001). In a multivariate model including mSS and education, mSS was the only significant predictor of Job complexity. Discussion: The current results suggest that NP tests initially developed for Western cultures are valid predictors of real-world outcomes in the Indian context, where access to education is variable. The finding relating cognition to occupation also supports future studies examining issues such as cognitive reserve in Indian patient populations.

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