Developing a Culturally Competent Neuropsychological Assessment Battery for Farsi-speaking Patients with Suspected Dementia

Abstract

Objective: To assemble a comprehensive neuropsychological battery appropriate for differential diagnosis of dementia in Farsi-speaking Iranian adults in the United States.

Method: Systematic searches of PubMed, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar databases were conducted to obtain test instruments relevant to Farsi speakers in consultation with a Farsi-speaking cultural broker.

Results: A proposed battery assessing the domains of attention, executive function, verbal and visual episodic memory, language, visuospatial/visuoconstruction abilities, and mood/anxiety was assembled that includes core measures developed, either specifically for a Farsi-speaking Iranian population or validated/normed with a Farsi-speaking Iranian sample. Though not ideal, additional measures were selected that can be administered using translated instructions with English normative data to supplement the limited tests available for use in this population. The rationale for test selection and caveats for their clinical use are presented along with a case study.

Conclusions: The number of neuropsychological measures available in Farsi and/or with normative data for Farsi speakers is extremely limited. Cognitive tests either developed for or validated with a bilingual Farsi-English sample also represent a significant gap in the literature. Appropriate measures for these populations are urgently needed to provide a culturally competent assessment of a growing older adult segment of an underserved community.

Keywords: Assessment; Dementia; Farsi; Neuropsychology.