Abstract

Objectives

This study examined the association of cultural factors and literacy to neuropsychological performance and measures of regional brain atrophy among Hispanic elders diagnosed with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI).

Method

Acculturation and literacy levels were measured among 45 subjects tested in Spanish; their primary language. Scores for measures of memory, executive functioning, and verbal fluency, as well as volumetric analysis of MRI scans of left hemisphere structures commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were examined. Linear regression models were employed to examine the association of acculturation and literacy to neuropsychological performance and MRI measures.

Results

After controlling for age, higher literacy levels were associated with better performance on phonemic verbal fluency (r = 0.300, p < .05), while higher levels of acculturation to the U.S. was associated with poorer performance on category verbal fluency (r = 0.300, p < .05). There was a significant inverse relationship after controlling for age between literacy and the left entorhinal cortex (r = –0.455, p < .05), left precuneus (r = –0.457, p < .05), and left posterior cingulate (r = –0.415, p < .05).

Conclusions

Results of the current pilot study indicate that high acculturation to the U.S. among aMCI immigrants from Latin-American countries may hinder performance on verbal learning measures when they are administered in one’s primary language. Moreover, in this cohort, a higher literacy level, which is indicative of greater cognitive reserve, was associated with better performance in language measures, but with greater atrophy in brain regions susceptible to neurodegenerative disease. These preliminary findings should be further examined among larger cohorts and using more diverse measures, which capture other cultural constructs.

中文翻译：

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与遗忘性轻度认知障碍 (aMCI) 的西班牙裔老年人的神经心理表现和脑萎缩相关的文化因素：一项试点研究

 抽象的

 目标

本研究探讨了文化因素和读写能力与神经心理学表现以及被诊断患有遗忘型轻度认知障碍（aMCI）的西班牙裔老年人的区域性脑萎缩测量的关系。

 方法

对 45 名接受西班牙语测试的受试者进行了文化适应和识字水平的测量；他们的主要语言。研究人员检查了记忆力、执行功能和言语流畅性的评分，以及通常受阿尔茨海默病 (AD) 影响的左半球结构的 MRI 扫描体积分析。采用线性回归模型来检查文化适应和读写能力与神经心理学表现和 MRI 测量的关联。

 结果

控制年龄后，较高的识字水平与较好的音素言语流利度表现相关（ r = 0.300， p < .05），而较高的美国文化适应水平与较差的类别言语流利度表现相关（ r = 0.300） ， p < .05)。控制年龄后，识字率与左内嗅皮层 ( r = –0.455, p < .05)、左楔前叶 ( r = –0.457, p < .05) 和左后扣带回 (r = –0.457, p < .05) 之间存在显着的负相关关系。 r = –0.415， p < .05)。

 结论

目前的试点研究结果表明，来自拉丁美洲国家的 aMCI 移民对美国的高度文化适应可能会阻碍以母语进行语言学习测量的表现。此外，在这个队列中，较高的识字水平（表明认知储备能力更强）与更好的语言测量表现相关，但易患神经退行性疾病的大脑区域萎缩更大。这些初步发现应该在更大的群体中进行进一步检验，并使用更多样化的措施来捕捉其他文化结构。