• Karina Carlesso Pagliarin, Gigiane Gindri, Karin Zazo Ortiz, Maria Alice Mattos Pimenta Parente, Yves Joanette, Jean-Luc Nespoulous, and Rochele Paz Fonseca.
• Speech Pathology and Audiology Department, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2015 Jul 1; 133 (4): 298306298-306.

Context And ObjectiveThere is growing concern about understanding how sociodemographic variables may interfere with cognitive functioning, especially with regard to language. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between performance in the Brazilian version of the Montreal-Toulouse language assessment battery (MTL-BR) and education, age and frequency of reading and writing habits (FRWH).Design And SettingCross-sectional study conducted in university and work environments in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.MethodThe MTL-BR was administered to a group of 233 healthy adults, aged 19 to 75 years (mean = 45.04, standard deviation, SD = 15.47), with at least five years of formal education (mean = 11.47, SD = 4.77).ResultsA stepwise multiple linear regression model showed that, for most tasks, the number of years of education, age and FRWH were better predictors of performance when analyzed together rather than separately. In separate analysis, education was the best predictor of performance in language tasks, especially those involving reading and writing abilities.ConclusionThe results suggested that the number of years of education, age and FRWH seem to influence performance in the MTL-BR, especially education. These data are important for making diagnoses of greater precision among patients suffering from brain injuries, with the aim of avoiding false positives.

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