Memory span measured by the spatial span tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery in a group of Brazilian children and adolescents

Teixeira, Rosani Aparecida Antunes; Zachi, Elaine Cristina; Roque, Daniela Tsubota; Taub, Anita; Ventura, Dora Fix

doi:10.1590/S1980-57642011DN05020012

Abstract

The neuropsychological tests of spatial span are designed to measure attention and working memory. The version of the spatial span test in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) evaluates these functions through the recall of sequences of spatial locations presented to the subject.

Objective:

The present study investigated how age, gender and educational level might affect the performance of the non-verbal system.

Methods:

A total of 60 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years were assessed (25 males and 35 females).

Results:

The results showed no gender differences in test performance. Children with six or more years of education showed better performance than children with less than three years of education. Older children had more schooling and thus were able to recall a greater number of items. Span length values proved similar to a previous large normative study which also employed the CANTAB Spatial Span (De Luca et al., 2003).

Conclusion:

The similarity in performance of the Brazilian children and adolescents studied and the group of Australian participants examined by the cited authors, despite the socio-cultural and economical differences, points to the suitability of the task for the assessment of attention and working memory in Brazilian children.

Key words:
neuropsychological tests; CANTAB; spatial span; working memory; children; educational status.

Resumo

Testes neuropsicológicos de span visuoespacial são construídos para avaliar amplitude atencional e memória de trabalho. Na versão do teste de span visuoespacial da Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) essa avaliação é feita através de sequências de localização espacial.

Objetivo:

O presente estudo investiga como a idade, o sexo e a escolaridade podem afetar o desempenho nesse sistema não-verbal.

Métodos:

Foram avaliadas 60 crianças e adolescentes com idades entre 6 e 18 anos (25 meninos; 35 meninas).

Resultados:

Os resultados não mostraram diferenças no desempenho do teste entre os sexos. O grupo de crianças com seis ou mais anos de escolaridade foi melhor do que a de crianças menores de três anos de estudo. Nossos resultados sugerem que as crianças mais velhas e, portanto, com maior tempo de escolaridade conseguem se lembrar de um número maior de itens. Os valores de amplitude foram similares aos obtidos em um experimento normativo prévio amplo no qual foi utilizado o teste Spatial Span do CANTAB (De Luca et al., 2003).

Conclusão:

Estas concordâncias de desempenhos entre crianças e adolescentes brasileiros e o grupo de participantes australianos examinados pelos autores citados nos mostram que apesar das diferenças sócio-culturais e econômicas existentes, a tarefa é adequada para avaliação de atenção e memória de trabalho em crianças brasileiras.

Palavras-chave:
testes neuropsicológicos; CANTAB; spatial span; memória de trabalho; criança; nível de escolaridade.

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References

Blankenship AB. Memory span: a review of the literature. Psychol Bull 1938;35:1-25.
Kessels RPC, Van de Berg E, Ruis C, Brands AMA. The Backward Span of the Corsi Block-Tapping Task and Its Association With the WAIS-III Digit Span. Assessment 2008;15:426-434.
Baddeley AD, Hitch GJ. Developments in the concept of working memory. Neuropsychology 1994;8:485-493.
Baddeley A. The episodic buffer: a new component of working memory? Trends Cog Sciences 2000;4:417-423.
Robbins TW, James T, Owen AM, Sahakian BJ, McInnes L, Rabbitt PM. CANTAB: a factor analytic study of a large sample of normal elderly volunteers. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 1994;5:266-281.
Milner B. Interhemispheric differences in the localization of psychological processes in man. Br Med Bull 1971;27:272-277.
Vandierendonckl A, Kemps E, Fastame MC, Szmalec A. Working memory components of the Corsi blocks task. Br J Psychol 2004;95:57-79.
Cambridge Cognition. CANTABeclipse. Test Administration Guide / Manual version 3.0.0. Cambridge: Cambridge Cognition Limited. 2006.
Luciana M, Nelson CA. Assessment of neuropsychological function through use of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery: performance in 4 to 12-year-old children. Dev Neuropsychol 2002;22:595-624.
Lopes EJ, Lopes RFF, Galera CA. Memória de trabalho viso-espacial em crianças de 7 a 12 anos. Est Psicol 2005;10:207-214.
Postma A, Jager G, Kessels RPC, Koppeschaar HPF, Honk JV. Sex differences for selective forms of spatial memory. Brain Cog 2004;54:24-32.
Lynn R, Irwing P. Sex differences in mental arithmetic, digit span, and g defined as working memory capacity. Intelligence 2008;36:226-235.
Rosen VM, Engle RW. Forward and backward serial recall. Intelligence 1997;25:37-47.
Pagulayana KF, Buscha RM, Medina KL, Bartok JA, Krikorian R. Developmental normative data for the Corsi Block-Tapping Task. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2006;28:1043-1052.
Santos FH, Mello CB, Bueno OFA., Dellatolas G. Cross-cultural differences for three visual memory tasks in Brazilian children. Percep Motor Skills 2005;101:421-433.
Luciana MP. Practitioner review: computerized assessment of neuropsychological function in children: clinical and research applications of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB). J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2003;44:649-663.
De Luca CR, Wood SJ, Anderson V, Buchanan JA, Proffitt TM, Mahony K, Pantelis C. Normative data from the CANTAB. I: development of executive function over the lifespan. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2003;25:242-254.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Apr-Jun 2011

History

Received
02 Mar 2011
Accepted
05 May 2011

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

[1] Blankenship AB. Memory span: a review of the literature. Psychol Bull 1938;35:1-25.

[2] Kessels RPC, Van de Berg E, Ruis C, Brands AMA. The Backward Span of the Corsi Block-Tapping Task and Its Association With the WAIS-III Digit Span. Assessment 2008;15:426-434.

[3] Baddeley AD, Hitch GJ. Developments in the concept of working memory. Neuropsychology 1994;8:485-493.

[4] Baddeley A. The episodic buffer: a new component of working memory? Trends Cog Sciences 2000;4:417-423.

[5] Robbins TW, James T, Owen AM, Sahakian BJ, McInnes L, Rabbitt PM. CANTAB: a factor analytic study of a large sample of normal elderly volunteers. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 1994;5:266-281.

[6] Milner B. Interhemispheric differences in the localization of psychological processes in man. Br Med Bull 1971;27:272-277.

[7] Vandierendonckl A, Kemps E, Fastame MC, Szmalec A. Working memory components of the Corsi blocks task. Br J Psychol 2004;95:57-79.

[8] Cambridge Cognition. CANTABeclipse. Test Administration Guide / Manual version 3.0.0. Cambridge: Cambridge Cognition Limited. 2006.

[9] Luciana M, Nelson CA. Assessment of neuropsychological function through use of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery: performance in 4 to 12-year-old children. Dev Neuropsychol 2002;22:595-624.

[10] Lopes EJ, Lopes RFF, Galera CA. Memória de trabalho viso-espacial em crianças de 7 a 12 anos. Est Psicol 2005;10:207-214.

[11] Postma A, Jager G, Kessels RPC, Koppeschaar HPF, Honk JV. Sex differences for selective forms of spatial memory. Brain Cog 2004;54:24-32.

[12] Lynn R, Irwing P. Sex differences in mental arithmetic, digit span, and g defined as working memory capacity. Intelligence 2008;36:226-235.

[13] Rosen VM, Engle RW. Forward and backward serial recall. Intelligence 1997;25:37-47.

[14] Pagulayana KF, Buscha RM, Medina KL, Bartok JA, Krikorian R. Developmental normative data for the Corsi Block-Tapping Task. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2006;28:1043-1052.

[15] Santos FH, Mello CB, Bueno OFA., Dellatolas G. Cross-cultural differences for three visual memory tasks in Brazilian children. Percep Motor Skills 2005;101:421-433.

[16] Luciana MP. Practitioner review: computerized assessment of neuropsychological function in children: clinical and research applications of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB). J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2003;44:649-663.

[17] De Luca CR, Wood SJ, Anderson V, Buchanan JA, Proffitt TM, Mahony K, Pantelis C. Normative data from the CANTAB. I: development of executive function over the lifespan. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2003;25:242-254.

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