Spanish normative studies in a young adult population (NEURONORMA young adults Project): methods and characteristics of the sample

Introduction: In clinical neuropsychology, normative data are necessary to relate the performance of a subject to a reference group. These normative data should be collected from a pertinent population taking into account sociodemographic and cultural factors. Objective: This paper describes the methods and sample characteristics of a series of Spanish normative studies on young adults (NEURONORMA young adults Project). The normative information was based on a series of selected, commonly used, neuropsychological tests covering attention, language, visual-perceptual abilities, constructional tasks, memory, and executive functions. Material and methods: A sample of 179 cognitively normal subjects from 18 to 49 years was studied. Demographics, socio-cultural, and medical data were collected. The statistical procedure used in the normative studies is described. Results: Sociodemographic, family background, health habits, medical history and use of drugs are presented. Conclusions: The use of these norms should improve neuropsychological diagnostic accuracy in young Spanish subjects. These data may also be of considerable use for comparisons with other normative studies. (C) 2011 Sociedad Espanola de Neurologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.