Abstract
OBJECTIVE: the main objective of present research project was to develop and validate a neuropsychological test assessment battery to evaluate the neuropsychological profiles of healthy and clinical populations from Pakistani. METHOD: the battery was developed in two languages, URDU and non-native English, to assess neuropsychological functioning of illiterate to highly literate Urdu Speaking and bilingual Pakistani populations. It was named as Pakistani Neuropsychological Test Assessment Battery (PANATB). The PANTAB assessed neuropsychological functioning from six domains namely orientation, attention and concentration, language, visuo-spatial & perceptual ability, memory, and executive functions. It included items most relevant to Pakistani norms and culture. Its administration time is 35 to 40 minutes. The project was completed in two phases of development and validation. Validation was done in two studies. RESULTS: the first study evaluated and established the retest reliability and concurrent validity on a sample of adolescents and adults (n1=216). Age and educational differences were also observed in performance. Clinical and convergent validities were established in the second study (n=122) by comparing the performance of two clinical subgroups of patients with traumatic brain injury and stroke with healthy participants. CONCLUSIONS: the PANTAB is a valid measure of neuropsychological assessment and is sensitive to identifying cognitive impairment associated with clinical conditions and aging. It may fulfill the need for brief, reliable, and objective evaluation of a broad range of neurocognitive functions in the Pakistani clinical and non-clinical populations.