Normative values of the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests in a Brazilian population sample: discrete and regression–based norms

ABSTRACT Objective Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis. The Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB–N) was developed to assess cognitive functions most–frequently impaired in multiple sclerosis. However, normative values are lacking in Brazil. Therefore, we aimed to provide continuous and discrete normative values for the BRB–N in a Brazilian population sample. Methods We recruited 285 healthy individuals from the community at 10 Brazilian sites and applied the BRB–N version A in 237 participants and version B in 48 participants. Continuous norms were calculated with multiple–regression analysis. Results Mean raw scores and the 5th percentile for each neuropsychological measure are provided, stratified by age and educational level. Healthy participants' raw scores were converted to scaled scores, which were regressed on age, sex and education, yielding equations that can be used to calculate predicted scores. Conclusion Our normative data allow a more widespread use of the BRB–N in clinical practice and research.

摘要
目的：认知功能障碍在多发性硬化症中十分常见。简短重复性神经心理测试电池（Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests, BRB–N）专为评估多发性硬化症中最常受损的认知功能而开发。然而巴西目前尚缺乏其常模数值，因此本研究旨在为巴西人群样本中的BRB–N提供连续性与离散性常模参考数据。

方法：本研究在巴西10个研究站点招募了285名社区健康个体，对其中237名受试者施测A版BRB–N，对48名受试者施测B版BRB–N。连续性常模通过多元回归分析计算得到。

结果：本研究提供了各项神经心理测试指标的原始得分均值与第5百分位数，并按年龄与受教育水平进行分层。将健康受试者的原始得分转换为量表分后，以年龄、性别与受教育水平为自变量开展回归分析，得到可用于计算预测得分的回归方程。

结论：本研究提供的常模数据可推动BRB–N在临床实践与科研领域的更广泛应用。