Norma-Latina neuropsychological battery: a validation of a tool for children with Intellectual Disability from Colombia

Norma-Latina neuropsychological battery: a validation of a tool for children with Intellectual Disability from Colombia

/ Vol 9-Nº 1 ene-jun 2026 /

Diego Rivera, M.P.H., PhD.1,2; Rafael E. Oliveras-Rentas, Psy.D.3; María Rocío Acosta Barreto, Ph.D4; Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa, PhD.1 y Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla, PhD.5

ABSTRACT

Objective: Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) usually experience cognitive difficulties, among others. The objective was to validate the Norma-Latina battery in a group of children with ID from Bogota, Colombia.

Methods: The sample consisted of 132 Colombian children with ID and 132 Healthy Control (HC) matched by sociodemographic characteristics. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was employed to compare 25 raw test-scores, cognitive domains, and low scores between groups. Additionally, area under the curve (AUC), Youden Index (J), and Index of Union (IU) were used to define the optimal cutoff-point to discriminate between ID and HC groups.

Results: Children with ID performed worse than HC in all cognitive domains (executive functions, language, learning and memory, and speed processing). AUC showed good accuracy in discriminating between individuals with ID and HC (AUC>.94).

Conclusions: The results strongly support the applicability of the Norma-Latina battery for Colombian children, and it shows capacity of discrimination in ID patients.

1 Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, 31006, Spain. Pamplona, Spain. diego.rivera@unavarra.es ORCID: 0000-0001-7477-1893, laiene.olabarrieta@unavarra.es. ORCID: 0000-0002-8305-8720
2 Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, 31008, Pamplona, Spain.
3 Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, 00716, Puerto Rico, neuropsicologiapr@gmail.com
4 Universidad de San Buenaventura, Bogotá, 110141, Colombia. maracosta@usbbog.edu.co
5 IKERBASQUE. Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48009, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of the Basque Country UPV, Leioa, 46020, Spain. jcalasprilla@gmail.com

*Corresponding author:

Diego Rivera, Ph.D.
Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Arrosadia Campus, s/n, 31006, Pamplona, Spain
Phone number: (+34) 94 816 9857
Email: diego.rivera@unavarra.es

Key words:

Intellectual Disability, validation, Norma-Latina, battery, children, adolescents.