The purpose of this research was to develop, standardize,
and test the reliability of a short neuropsychological
test battery in the Spanish language. This neuropsychological
battery was named “NEUROPSI,” and was developed
to assess briefly a wide spectrum of cognitive functions,
including orientation, attention, memory, language, visuoperceptual
abilities, and executive functions. The NEUROPSI includes
items that are relevant for Spanish-speaking communities.
It can be applied to illiterates and low educational groups.
Administration time is 25 to 30 min. Normative data were
collected from 800 monolingual Spanish-speaking individuals,
ages 16 to 85 years. Four age groups were used: (1) 16
to 30 years, (2) 31 to 50 years, (3) 51 to 65 years, and
(4) 66 to 85 years. Data also are analyzed and presented
within 4 different educational levels that were represented
in this sample: (1) illiterates (zero years of school);
(2) 1 to 4 years of school; (2) 5 to 9 years of school;
and (3) 10 or more years of formal education. The effects
of age and education, as well as the factor structure of
the NEUROPSI are analyzed. The NEUROPSI may fulfill the
need for brief, reliable, and objective evaluation of a
broad range of cognitive functions in Spanish-speaking
populations. (JINS, 1999, 5, 413–433.)