Same or different? Semantic verbal fluency across Spanish-speakers from different countries

Several investigations have suggested that age, education and culture affect semantic fluency. To date, there is no research work indicating whether there are differences among speakers of the same language but from different countries. It has been proposed that despite having the same language, each Spanish-speaking country should have its normative data. The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of age, education and culture to semantic fluency in Spanish-speakers. Age and level of education are determining factors in semantic fluency performance. The differences found may be due to the variability in the administration and scoring of the tests, rather than to a cultural effect. A standardized method is proposed for the application of the test. (C) 2007 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.