Normative data for the Tygerberg Cognitive Battery and Mini-Mental Status Examination in a South African population.
BACKGROUND
Normative data for the Tygerberg Cognitive Battery (TCB) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) (in South Africa) have not been formally examined before. The TCB was developed for the bedside pen-and-paper screening of cognitive impairment in each of the 6 main cognitive domains, including attention and concentration, speech, memory, praxis, gnosis, and executive functioning. The test is also used to diagnose different neuropsychiatric conditions. The MMSE is an established screen of cognitive status, which is often used as a comparative standard for novel screening tests such as the TCB. The TCB was initially developed in English and Afrikaans, and a Xhosa version was also initiated with this study so that the 3 most common languages of the region could be accommodated.


OBJECTIVE
The first aim of the study was to estimate normative test performance on the TCB and MMSE among controls, and the second aim was to develop a Xhosa version of the TCB.


METHODS
Assessments of the TCB and MMSE were carried out in a population of healthy individuals (n = 157). In addition, healthy Xhosa-speaking participants (n = 14) were screened using a Xhosa version of the TCB.


RESULTS
Reliability scores for all forms of the TCB were satisfactory. Age and education correlated significantly with TCB scores (r = -0.26, P < .01; r = 0.64, P < .01, respectively), whereas only education significantly correlated with MMSE scores (r = 0.32, P < .05). Normative values were calculated accordingly, that is, controlled for the effects of age and education. The TCB scores also correlated significantly with MMSE scores (r = 0.49, P < .05), demonstrating the potential of the TCB to serve as an alternate cognitive assessment tool, along with the MMSE, to focus neuropsychiatric investigations. Scores on the Xhosa version differed significantly on speech, praxis, and gnosis between the Afrikaans and English participant scores.


CONCLUSIONS
These normative data can be used to increase precision and to provide an impartial evaluation when applying TCB to evaluate the cognitive ability of neuropsychiatrically impaired adult patients. However, age and education effects should be considered when computing the results of cognitive assessment.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. aroos@sun.ac.za
Annerine
A
Roos
Dorothy
D
Calata
Liesl
L
Jonkers
Stephan J
SJ
Maritz
Martin
M
Kidd
Willie M U
WM
Daniels
Frans J
FJ
Hugo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention; D044383:Black People; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D013019:South Africa; D013060:Speech; D055815:Young Adult