Reexamining the Boston Naming Test: Effects of Multilingualism and Clinical Utility

Authors: Giana Wameling, Reethee Antony

Field of Study: Speech and Language Pathology

Program Affiliation: Brain and Swallowing Lab

Faculty Mentors: Reethee Antony

Easel: 73

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is a widely used clinical tool to detect word retrieval difficulties in individuals with aphasia, and other cognitive-linguistic impairments with stroke, head injury, and dementia. The assessment requires an individual to name 60 black-and-white line drawings of objects. Linguistic experience affects performance on neuropsychological tasks, particularly on language performance tests. Some items in the BNT were either not translatable or were culturally inappropriate, and extensive item replacement was needed during adaptation of the test. Its validity is influenced by cultural, linguistic, educational, and clinical factors. In this poster presentation, research related to adaptations of BNT and factors that influence performance will be presented. The findings will shed light on need for cultural and linguistic adaptations of test materials and illustrate that direct translation of the BNT is insufficient; rather, population-specific modification and norming are more appropriate to account for cultural and educational differences.