Culturally Competent Approaches for Neuropsychological Assessment for Differential Diagnosis of Dementia of Korean-Speaking Patients in the United States

Abstract

Objective: To serve the over 1.82 million people of Korean descent who reside in the United States, we assembled a core and supplemental battery of culturally and linguistically appropriate neuropsychological measures for differential diagnosis of dementia for Korean-speaking patients.

Method: Test instruments in Korean were identified through systematic searches of PubMed and Google Scholar, US-based website searches in Korean, and in consultation with Korean-speaking cultural brokers, residing in the United States and Korea.

Results: A battery assessing cognitive domains and mood was assembled using core measures developed specifically for Korean-speaking individuals within the United States and supplemental English measures that can be administered using translated instructions and English normative data. The rationale for test selection and clinical utility, including strengths and limitations of the proposed measures, is presented. Additionally, a case illustration using the proposed battery is included.

Conclusions: Given the large and aging population of Korean-speaking residents in the United States, it is imperative to utilize appropriately designed and normed instruments to provide culturally competent assessments to better serve the Korean community.

Keywords: Cognitive; Cultural neuropsychology; Dementia; Multi-cultural; Neuropsychological assessment.