Individual and sociocultural influences on language processing as assessed by the MTL-BR Battery

Abstract

Background: The Montreal–Toulouse Language Assessment Battery—Brazilian version (MTL-BR) has been adapted, extensively revised, and redesigned from French to Brazilian Portuguese to assess components of spoken and written language, praxis, and arithmetical skills after brain injury.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to verify the influence of age, education, and gender on healthy adults’ linguistic performance on the MTL-BR.

Methods & Procedures: The sample consisted of 463 healthy adults recruited from cities in southern and southeastern Brazil, divided into groups according to gender, age (19–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–75 years), and education level (5–8, 9–11 and >12 years of formal schooling); the influence of all these variables on MTL-BR performance was assessed.

Outcomes & Results: The results showed that education had the greatest influence on subtest scores. Few scores appeared to be influenced by age, and only minimal gender differences were identified.

Conclusions: The data obtained will contribute to the clinical assessment of patients with aphasia throughout Brazil.

Keywords:

• Language tests
• Education level
• Age
• Assessment
• Adults
• Aphasia