In today’s diverse European societies, neuropsychological assessments must adapt to account for the complex influences of culture, language, education, and literacy. Traditional tests, often designed for homogeneous populations, can lead to biases and misdiagnoses, particularly for individuals from migrant or minority backgrounds. The European Consortium for Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology (ECCroN), founded in 2019, addresses these challenges by enhancing assessment practices for culturally, educationally, and linguistically diverse populations.
ECCroN emphasizes the importance of developing cross-culturally applicable tests, rather than relying on race-based norms, to promote equity in neuropsychological practices. Key efforts include validating tests for patients with migration backgrounds to ensure fair and accurate assessments, developing guidelines for working with interpreters, and improving training for neuropsychologists. The consortium also advocates for tests that account for bilingualism, acculturation, and educational quality, all of which influence cognitive performance.
Recognizing Europe’s linguistic diversity, ECCroN also advocates for improving the use of interpreters in neuropsychological assessments, as many neuropsychologists conduct interpreter-mediated assessments without formal training. Beyond test development and interpreter use, ECCroN addresses the broader spectrum of diversity, including educational disparities among both native-born and migrant populations.
ECCroN’s efforts are focused on reducing misdiagnoses and improving clinical practices through collaborative cross-cultural test development and advancing clinical training. The consortium is paving the way for more inclusive neuropsychological practices across Europe.
References:
Franzen, S., Bekkhus-Wetetrberg, P.; van den Berg, E.; Calia, C.; Canevelli, M.; Daugherty, J.; Fasfous, A.; Goudsmit, M.; Ibanez-Casas, I.; Lozano-Ruiz, Á.; Mukadam, N.; Narme, P.; Nielsen, T.; Papma, J.; Pomati, S.; Watermeyer, T. (2021), 'Cross-cultural neuropsychological assessment in Europe: position statement of the European Consortium on Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology (ECCroN)'. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2021.1981456
Nielsen, T.; Franzen, S.; Watermeyer, T.; Jiang, J.; Calia, C.; Kjærgaard, D.; Bothe, S.; Mukadam, N. (2024). Interpreter-mediated neuropsychological assessment: Clinical considerations and recommendations from the European Consortium on Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology (ECCroN). The Clinical Neuropsychologist DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2024.2335113
Dr Clara Calia is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology on the Clinical Doctorate in psychology at the University of Edinburgh (UK). Social justice is the main drive of her research, by promoting principles of equity, ethics, participation, dialogue with culturally diverse populations, and those at risk of social injustice. Clara is one of the founding members of the European Consortium on Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology (ECCroN). ECCroN recommends taking a broad range of variables into account, such as linguistic factors, literacy, education, migration history, acculturation and other socio-cultural factors. We advocate against race-based norms as a solution to the challenging interpretation of group differences in neuropsychological tests, and instead support the development, validation, and standardisation of more widely applicable/cross-culturally applicable tests. ECCroN also advocates for improvements in the clinical training of neuropsychologists in culturally sensitive neuropsychological assessment.
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