title: CANTAB object recognition and language tests to detect aging cognitive decline: an exploratory comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The recognition of the limits between normal and pathological aging is essential to start preventive actions. The aim of this paper is to compare the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and language tests to distinguish subtle differences in cognitive performances in two different age groups, namely young adults and elderly cognitively normal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 29 young adults (29.9±1.06 years) and 31 older adults (74.1±1.15 years) matched by educational level (years of schooling). All subjects underwent a general assessment and a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Mini Mental State Examination, visuospatial learning, and memory tasks from CANTAB and language tests. Cluster and discriminant analysis were applied to all neuropsychological test results to distinguish possible subgroups inside each age group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in the performance of aged and young adults were detected in both language and visuospatial memory tests. Intragroup cluster and discriminant analysis revealed that CANTAB, as compared to language tests, was able to detect subtle but significant differences between the subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings, we concluded that, as compared to language tests, large-scale application of automated visuospatial tests to assess learning and memory might increase our ability to discern the limits between normal and pathological aging.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Cabral
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaís Cristina Galdino
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liliane Dias e Dias
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: de Macedo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Mendonça
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tomás
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Núcleo Universitário de Oriximiná, Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Domingos Luiz Wanderley
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Picanço-Diniz
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil ; Faculdade de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bento-Torres
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil ; Faculdade de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Natáli Valim Oliver
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Bento-Torres
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristovam Wanderley
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Picanço-Diniz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000502:physiology; D065854:Spatial Navigation / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: aging; cluster analysis; discriminant analysis; neuropsychological tests