Neuronorma Colombia: contributions and methodological characteristics

Abstract

Introduction: Availability of adequate normative data is essential when performing neuropsychological evaluation; good methodological quality of the studies that propose these data ensures that their conclusions are reliable and valid. We present the methodological characteristics of the Neuronorma Colombia Project in order to analyse its contributions and limitations.

Method: We present the characteristics of the normative sample, inclusion and exclusion criteria, statistical analysis, the procedure for obtaining normative data, and the instruments used.

Results: We present graphical profiles of patient performance, based on the Neuronorma Work Unit, to illustrate the interpretation of the results obtained when evaluating patients with the Neuronorma Colombia Battery.

Discussion and conclusions: Our study presents several methodological advantages, such as its multicentre, co-normalised design and the availability of the Neuronorma Work Unit, which allows the creation of graphical profiles of patient performance, a fundamental tool for diagnosis and research. We present the findings of subsequent research based on the proposed normative data, which demonstrate the value of the battery. The contribution of this study is discussed in the context of its immediate background.

Keywords: Ageing; Envejecimiento; Estudios normativos; Neuronorma; Neuropsicología; Neuropsychology; Normative studies.