RESUMEN: El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar una revisión teórica de las principales formas abreviadas que han sido desarrolladas por varios autores a partir de las distintas versiones de la Escala de inteligencia de Wechsler para adultos que han ido surgiendo a lo largo del tiempo. El desarrollo de formas cortas ha ido creciendo en paralelo a la aparición de las nuevas versiones de la escala completa. Una forma abreviada permite estimar la capacidad intelectual con un tiempo de administración menor, por lo que puede ser de gran utilidad si el objetivo de evaluación es obtener una medida general de la capacidad intelectual. ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to present a theoretical review of the main short forms that have been developed by several authors based on different versions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The development of short forms has been growing parallel to the appearance of new versions of the full scale. A short form allows estimating the intellectual capacity of someone with less time of administration, which could be very useful if the assessment objective is to obtain an overall measure of intellectual capacity.

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Studies have shown that executive function abilities are related and have predictive power over adaptive behaviour in both typical and atypical populations. This study examined the relationship between executive functioning and adaptive behaviour in adolescents with Down syndrome, as it has not been studied before in this population. We propose and test a model of how each core EF (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and flexibility) contributes to each domain of AB (i.e., conceptual, social, and practical). We found that parent reported Conceptual skills were related to working memory, while teacher reported Conceptual and Practical skills were related to inhibition and flexibility. We hypothesise that these findings are related to the different requirements and expectations of the home and school environments: the more predictable home environment requires the adolescent to rely on working memory for his everyday activities, while the changing and challenging school environment requires the inhibition common behaviours and to flexibly change actions to be successful. Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder, with a total mean prevalence (live, stillbirths and termination of pregnancies) of about 18.2 in 10,000 births 1. In most cases, DS is caused by an extra copy of all or part of chromosome 21 2 , and it is considered one of the leading genetic causes of intellectual disability (ID) 3 , as cognitive functioning and adaptive behaviour (AB) seem to be somehow affected by the condition 2,4. Regarding cognitive functioning, executive function (EF) appears as a set of skills that have consistently been shown to be different in people with DS when compared to typically developing (TD) children and adults 4-6. EF is a set of top-down skills used in the conscious control of attention, thoughts, and actions, when relying on our automatic processes would be unwise, insufficient, or impossible 7,8. The three core EFs include working memory (i.e., the ability to hold information in mind and mentally work with it 9), inhibition (i.e., the capacity to override automatic or impulsive responses, thoughts, or emotions, in order to act according to one's goals and/or what is appropriate for the situation 7,10), and cognitive flexibility (i.e., the ability that allows for change in perspectives, means to reach a goal, or the goal itself, in order to optimize resources and/or more effective use of the feedback from the environment 7,10). These abilities form the foundation from which higher order cognitive processes, such as reasoning, problem solving, and planning are built. This multidimensional approach to EF has been supported by studies in children 11,12 and adults 13. Studies that have explored EF in DS have reported that children and adolescents with DS have overall difficulties in EF, but with an age dependent profile of strengths and weaknesses across the different dimensions. Two studies with preschool children with DS 6,14 reported greater difficulties in working memory, planning, and inhibition, compa...

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ResumenLa reciente estandarización en Chile de la Escala Wechsler de Inteligencia para Adultos (WAIS), en su cuarta versión, obliga a investigar el impacto que condiciones culturales y ambientales pueden tener sobre el rendimiento intelectual de las personas. El presente estudio comparó el desempeño de jóvenes provenientes de sectores rurales y urbanos de la región del Biobío, segmentados según nivel educativo de los padres como variable de aproximación al nivel socioeconómico. Los resultados muestran un efecto de interacción entre el nivel socioeconómico y el lugar de residencia. Comprensión verbal y memoria de trabajo son los constructos que reciben un mayor impacto del nivel socioeconómico. Se espera que futuros estudios contribuyan a la investigación de habilidades cognitivas en sectores rurales y socialmente deprivados de Chile. Palabras clave: ruralidad, habilidades cognitivas, Escala Wechsler de Inteligencia para Adultos y deprivación social. AbstractThe recent standardization of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) in its fourth version in Chile forces to test the impact that cultural and environmental conditions can have on people's intellectual performance. The present study compared the performance of young people from rural and urban areas of the Biobío region, segmented by parental education level as proxy variable to socioeconomic status. Results showed an interaction effect between socioeconomic status and place of residence. Verbal Comprehension and Working Memory are the constructs that received a higher impact of the socioeconomic status. Future studies are expected to contribute to research on cognitive abilities in rural and socially deprived sectors in Chile.

TENI (Test de Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil) is an instrument developed to assess cognitive abilities in children between 3 and 9 years of age. It is based on a model that incorporates games and technology as tools to improve the assessment of children's capacities. The test was standardized with two Chilean samples of 524 and 82 children living in urban zones. Evidence of reliability and validity based on current standards is presented. Data show good levels of reliability for all subtests. Some evidence of validity in terms of content, test structure, and association with other variables is presented. This instrument represents a novel approach and a new frontier in cognitive assessment. Further studies with clinical, rural, and cross-cultural populations are required.

ABSTRACT. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is a screening test that measures executive functions. Although this instrument has been validated in several countries, its diagnostic utility in a Chilean population has not been studied yet. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) adapt FAB in a Chilean population; (2) study the psychometric properties of the FAB in a Chilean population; (3) assess the sociodemographic influence in the performance of the FAB in a sample of healthy controls (HC); and (4) develop normative data for this healthy group. Methods: A HC (n=344) and a group of patients with dementia (n=156) were assessed with the Chilean version of FAB. Results: FAB showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.79) and acceptable validity based on the relationship with other variables. Factor analysis showed the unidimensionality of the instrument. Significant differences were found in the total FAB value between the HC and dementia groups. With the matched sample, the established cutoff point was 13.5, showing a sensitivity of 80.8% and a specificity of 90.4%. Regression analysis showed that education and age significantly predicted FAB performance in the healthy group. Finally, normative data are provided. Conclusions: This study shows that FAB is a useful tool to discriminate between healthy people and people with dementia. However, further studies are needed to explore the capacity of the instrument to characterize the dysexecutive syndrome in people with dementia in the Chilean population.

In this article we critique the use of traditional standardized tests for the cognitive assessment of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Limitations stem from the lack of integrating (a) results from research into the psychological functioning of these populations, and (b) the main arguments underlying models of human development. We identify four secondary issues in this discussion: (1) these instruments cannot be used with children who have particularly low cognitive functioning; (2) little or no variance in the scores obtained by individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, because all are at floor, prevent adequate interpretations; (3) measurements do not provide information useful for the design of intervention strategies; and (4) different cognitive and/or neural processes may underlie behavioural scores 'in the normal range'. Rethinking traditional assessment methods in favour of technologically-mediated games yields new cognitive assessment possibilities.