Abstract:
Objective: The aim of this study was to create sex-, age- and
education-adjusted norms for the WHO/UCLA version of the Rey
Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for Sinhala-speaking
Sri Lankan adults.
Methods: Five-hundred and sixty-one healthy, community-living
adults (252 men), aged 19–83 years, and had 0–23 years of educa tion completed the WHO/UCLA RAVLT in Sinhala language. We con ducted multiple linear regression analyses with sex, age and years
of education to predict RAVLT list A1–A5 individual trial scores; trials
A1–A5 total learning; list B score; immediate and delayed recall and
recognition trial scores; and retroactive interference.
Results: We report regression equations to predict RAVLT norms
based on sex, age and years of education; and the test variances
accounted by those variables. Accordingly, all measures, except retro active interference had a significant age-related decline. All measures,
except the recognition trial hits, significantly improved with more
years of education. Women had significantly higher scores in all
measures except in trial B and retroactive interference. Proactive
interference, learning rate, learning over trials were not associated
with sex, age or education. A confirmatory factor analysis loaded the
RAVLT outcome measures into two factors: acquisition and retention.
Conclusions: We report sex-, age- and education-adjusted WHO/
UCLA RAVLT norms for Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankans aged
19–83 years; and supplement the regression formulae with a calcula tor that produces predicted and standard scores for given test partici pant. These norms would help clinicians accurately interpret
individual test results, accounting for the variability introduced by
sex, age and education.
