title: Low educational level effects on the performance of healthy adults on a Neuropsychological Protocol suggested by the Commission on Neuropsychology of the Liga Brasileira de Epilepsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess cognitive measures and impact of education on cognitive performance (CP) of low educational levels healthy adults (LELHA) on a Neuropsychological Protocol (NP) suggested by the Liga Brasileira de Epilepsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  138 subjects from an Education Program for Adults divided into two, age and gender matched groups of 69 subjects, answered the NP: Group 1 (mean of 6.9 ± 2.95 months of formal education) and Group 2, 47.8 ± 10 months. Data were compared as z-scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean IQ was 77.1 ± 5.50 and 79.4 ± 3.30 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.001). Both performed below the normal curve and Group 1 worse than 2. CP correlated with schooling, especially executive functions (54.1% vs 36.2%) and language (52.9% vs 25.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LELHA showed significant cognitive impairment in verbal and visuospatial areas. If these results had been obtained in epilepsy patients they would be interpreted as global cognitive impairment.
authors: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Division of Neurology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
authors: Erich Belzunces
authors: EB
authors: dos Santos
authors: Ivanda de Souza Silva
authors: Ide S
authors: Tudesco
authors: Luis Otávio S F
authors: LO
authors: Caboclo
authors: Elza Márcia T
authors: EM
authors: Yacubian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D055815:Young Adult