The illiterate brain and the neuropsychological assessment: From the past knowledge to the future new instruments

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The lifetime learning of illiterate and low-educated individuals shapes their cognitive skills, which are challenging to grade by the current available neuropsychological tools. Eight hundred million of the global population are illiterate. It is very challenging to interpret the cognitive performance of this population by the available formal neuropsychological tests, mainly developed for higher educated people. From extensive literature investigation, we reviewed the cognitive process and performance of illiterate and low-educated population on various cognitive domains including language, executive function, memory, visual-related function, and motor skills. We also suggested the concept in the development of the appropriate tools for the cognitive assessment among this population. Finally, we provide the available cognitive screening tools validated in the illiterate and low-educated subjects within the last three decades.

Medical Subject Headings

Brain; Cognition (physiology); Executive Function (physiology); Humans; Literacy; Memory (physiology); Neurocognitive Disorders (diagnosis); Neuropsychological Tests; Psychomotor Performance (physiology)

Publication Date

3-1-2018

Publication Title

Applied neuropsychology. Adult

E-ISSN

2327-9109

Volume

25

Issue

2

First Page

174

Last Page

187

PubMed ID

27841690

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/23279095.2016.1250211

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