536 - Neurodevelopmental Assessments Used to Measure Preschoolers’ Cognitive Development in Latin America: A Systematic Review

Poster Number: 536
Publication Number: 536.409

Meagan E. Williams, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Elizabeth A. Corn, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Santiago Martinez-Ransanz, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States; Madison M. Berl, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Sarah B. Mulkey, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States

Background: International studies on child neurodevelopment are complicated by the presence of a wide variety of child neurodevelopmental assessments reported in the literature and a lack of normative data for all regions. It is important to understand the commonly used neurodevelopmental evaluations in different regions of the world to enable harmonization of data between cohorts, ensure that culturally appropriate assessments are selected for use, and maximize the validity and impact of child outcome research.

Objective: The objective of this study was to systematically review the standardized neurodevelopmental assessments used to study preschool-aged children’s cognitive development in Latin America.

Design/Methods: In July-October 2022, the authors searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and ERIC databases for peer reviewed articles from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. Articles were included if they measured cognitive development among children ages 2-7 years using at least one standardized assessment tool; 57 articles were included and reviewed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to assess their use of these tools.

Results: Fifty-seven studies used a total of 41 assessments to measure cognitive development; most widely used were the Wechsler intelligence scales (n=30/57), particularly the WPPSI and WISC (n=16 and 12, respectively). Other common assessments included the non-verbal Raven’s Progressive Matrices (n=6), the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities for assessing multiple domains of cognitive development (n=6), and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test which assesses vocabulary (n=6). In regions where normative data for a given assessment were unpublished, authors commonly used norms from the United States, Mexico, or Spain or did not report standard scores in their analyses.

Conclusion(s):

The Wechsler intelligence scales were the most utilized assessment tools in Latin American studies. The wide range of other tools used in these studies presents a challenge for generalizing results when measuring the neurodevelopment of Latin American preschool-aged children. The low availability of normative data for specific regions for the Wechsler scales and other assessments reveals concerns if some tools are culturally and linguistically appropriate, particularly in low-income and low-resource settings. Future work to forge greater consistency in use of validated measures, clarity in reporting research methods and limitations, and publication of regional normative data would benefit the field.