Normative Data on the Korean Version of the Western Aphasia Battery

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to describe the properties of the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (hereinafter K-WAB) and to present the normative data of normal individuals and patients. The K-WAB contains the same test contents and structure as the original WAB and the general test administration method was maintained. We administered the K-WAB to 224 normal adults in seven age groups (15–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, and 75 years or older), in five educational levels (0, 1–6, 7–9, 10–12, and 13 years or more) and by gender. The age and educational levels were influential to the K-WAB performance. Accordingly, we formed six subgroups of the normal: two age groups (15–74, and 75 years or older groups) by three educational groups (0, 1–6, and 7 years or more). Two hundred thirty-eight patients were also evaluated using the K-WAB. The highest aphasia quotient (AQ), language quotient (LQ), and cortical quotient (CQ) were achieved by 15–74 age group with 7 or more years of education (M=97.11, M=95.51, M=95.57, respectively). Based on the receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses on AQ, LQ and CQ values, cut-off scores to optimally differentiate between the normal and the aphasic individuals were also provided.