The grenada learning and memory Scale: Psychometric features and normative data in caribbean preschool children

Authors

Karen Blackmon, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Roberta Evans, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Lauren Mohammed, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Kemi Burgen, St. George’s University, West Indies
Erin Ingraham, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Bianca Punch, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Rashida Isaac, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands , West Indies
Toni Murray, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Jesma Noel, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies
Cora Belmar-Roberts, Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment at Windward Islands, West Indies

Document Type

Article

Department

Brain and Mind Institute

Abstract

Objective: Neuropsychological assessment of preschool children is essential for early detection of delays and referral for intervention prior to school entry. This is especially pertinent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which are disproportionately impacted by micronutrient deficiencies and teratogenic exposures. The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale (GLAMS) was created for use in limited resource settings and includes a shopping list and face-name association test. Here, we present psychometric and normative data for the GLAMS in a Grenadian preschool sample.

Methods: Typically developing children between 36 and 72 months of age, primarily English speaking, were recruited from public preschools in Grenada. Trained Early Childhood Assessors administered the GLAMS and NEPSY-II in schools, homes, and clinics. GLAMS score distributions, reliability, and convergent/divergent validity against NEPSY-II were evaluated.

Results: The sample consisted of 400 children (190 males, 210 females). GLAMS internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, and test-retest reliability were acceptable. Principal components analysis revealed two latent factors, aligned with expected verbal/visual memory constructs. A female advantage was observed in verbal memory. Moderate age effects were observed on list learning/recall and small age effects on face-name learning/recall. All GLAMS subtests were correlated with NEPSY-II Sentence Repetition, supporting convergent validity with a measure of verbal working memory.

Conclusion: The GLAMS is a psychometrically sound measure of learning and memory in Grenadian preschool children. Further adaptation and scale-up to global LMICs are recommended.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617724000481

Recommended Citation

Blackmon, K., Evans, R., Mohammed, L., Burgen, K., Ingraham, E., Punch, B., Isaac, R., Murray, T., Noel, J., Belmar-Roberts, C. (2024). The grenada learning and memory Scale: Psychometric features and normative data in caribbean preschool children. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1-11.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/bmi/442

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.