Normative Data for Healthy French-Speaking Persons Aged 80 Years and Older for the DTLA Language Screening Test

The Detection Test for Language Impairments in Adults and the Aged (DTLA) is a quick, sensitive, and standardized screening test designed to assess language disorders in adults and elderly people. The test was specifically developed to detect linguistic impairment associated with major neurocognitive disorders. In 2017, we established normative data on 545 healthy individuals between 50 and 80 years old from four French-speaking countries: Belgium, Canada (Quebec), France, and Switzerland. Objective The objective of the present study was to develop norms for the population older than 80 years of age for the DTLA. Method We extend the original normative data to include 149 healthy, community-dwelling, French-speaking adults aged 80 years old and older from the same countries. Results For the total score of the screening test, we calculated the 5th, 15th, 25th, and 50th percentiles for two education groups. The analyses allowed the identification of cutoff and alert scores based on education level. Conclusions With the present study, solid normative data for the DTLA derived from the performance of 694 healthy, community-dwelling adults, and elderly people are now available to clinicians and researchers.

Automated summary

The present study aimed to establish normative data for the Detection Test for Language Impairments in Adults and the Aged (DTLA) in the population older than 80 years of age. The researchers expanded the study sample to include 149 healthy, community-dwelling, French-speaking adults aged 80 years old and older, and calculated cutoff and alert scores for the screening test based on education level. The solid normative data derived from this study are now available to clinicians and researchers for accurate language disorder assessment.