Comparative study of the cognitive performance of Greek Australian and Greek national elderly: Implications for neuropsychological practice

In the area of dementia diagnosis and assessment of cognitive functioning of elderly culturally and linguistically diverse individuals (CALDI) little is known about cognitive test performance differences between migrants and peers from their country of origin. This study investigated whether community dwelling elderly Greek Australian (GA) performance on tests of cognition was comparable to that of elderly Greek national 'normal' individuals without a diagnosis of dementia (Gn). Based on available cross-cultural literature it was hypothesised that GA would obtain lower scores on the Cambridge Cognitive Examination of the Elderly and the Mini-Mental Status Examination compared to Gn due to issues relating to the migrant experience such as acculturation, reduced language fluency and proficiency. The results of the current study supported the hypothesis arguing for caution when interpreting CALDI performance on tests that have not been normed in that particular group because there may be a greater risk of false-positive diagnoses.