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Research Article Volume 10 Issue 2
Brief language and aphasia assessment battery (ABLA battery): performance of older adults and norms
Karina Carlesso Pagliarin, Pâmela Lemes Rocha, Karin Zazo Ortiz
Postgraduate Program in Human Communication Disorders, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
Received: July 30, 2025 | Published: August 8, 2025
Citation: Rocha PL, Ortiz KZ, Pagliarin KC. Brief language and aphasia assessment battery (ABLA battery): performance of older adults and norms. MOJ Gerontol Ger. 2025;10(2):57‒64. DOI: 10.15406/mojgg.2025.10.00340
Abstract
Background: Population aging has brought new challenges to public
health, especially concerning the preservation of linguistic abilities in older
adults. Aphasia, often caused by strokes, significantly compromises
communication and, consequently, the quality of life of elderly individuals. As
the population ages, it becomes essential to adapt assessment tools to meet the
needs of a diverse population.
Aims: To investigate the performance of older adults on the
ABLA Battery and to establish normative data for this population.
Methods and Procedures: The research was conducted
with 125 older adults residing in the southern region of Brazil. Participants
were organized into age groups (60 to 75 years and over 76 years) and
categorized according to educational level (1–4 years, 5–8 years, 9–11 years, and
more than 12 years of schooling). Inclusion criteria required individuals to be
neurologically healthy, aged over 60 years, and native speakers of Brazilian
Portuguese. Exclusion criteria included a history of acquired neurological
diseases, uncorrected hearing and/or visual impairments, and previous or
current use of illicit substances or alcoholism. The evaluation was conducted
individually in a controlled environment, using the ABLA Battery, composed of
10 tasks aimed at analyzing different linguistic aspects. For statistical
analysis, the Mann-Whitney test was applied to compare age groups, and the
Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the different educational levels, adopting a
significance level of p 0.05.
Outcomes and Results: The findings revealed that,
for most tasks analyzed, there were no statistically significant differences
between the age groups, suggesting that linguistic abilities remain stable
throughout aging. However, the total naming task showed a significant result (p
= 0.027), indicating lower performance in the 60–75 years group. Regarding
education, participants with 1–4 years of schooling exhibited poorer
performance in oral sentence comprehension, copying, reading aloud, and written
comprehension tasks, while those with more than 12 years of education achieved
the best results. Thus, the standardization of ABLA Battery data represents a
significant advancement in the linguistic evaluation of older adults, providing
greater diagnostic precision. This study broadens the applicability of the
instrument in clinical and scientific contexts, enabling more assertive
interventions and contributing to the early detection of linguistic deficits.
Keywords: aging, language, norms, assessment, aphasia
©2025 Rocha, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.