Influence of age and education on neuropsychological tests in Zambia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of age, education and reading ability on neuropsychological tests in Zambia. Methods and Materials: 324 adult participants were recruited from urban and rural areas in Zambia. They had an age range of 19-65 and education range of 5 – 19 years of schooling. The Zambia Neurobehavioural Test battery was administered. Results and Conclusion: Results showed that all Neurobehavioural test scores had a strong association with education and an inverse relationship with age. Education did not generally offer protection against age-related decline in neuropsychological functioning. Reading level predicted performance on neuropsychological tests better than years of schooling.