[Tunisian adaptation of Hopkins Verbal Learning Test , Form 1].

BACKGROUND

Memory impairment and verbal learning are the most common cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) is considered to be the most reliable test to asses memory and verbal learning in this mental illness.

AIMS

to create one form of the HVLT which would suit our linguistic and cultural context and to study the characteristics of this test in a group of healthy subjects.

METHODS

The HVLT consists of a list of 12 words belonging to 3 semantic categories and which are read orally to the subject with an immediate and differed recall. The first part of this work was to select words from a lexical database in order to create the list of the HVLT. The test was then administered to 103 subjects aged from 17- to 45-years-old (mean=27,4; SD =7,3) and having between 1 and 20 years of education ( mean=12,2; SD=5,3).

RESULTS

No statistical difference was found within performances of the HVLT across gender and sex. Whereas, years of education was found to have an impact on performances. Although statistically difference was found across level of education.

CONCLUSION

Our study permitted us to create one form of the HVLT which well suits our Tunisian context and which we could use to evaluate memory functions among people suffering from schizophrenia.