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[Verbal fluency and Alzheimer's disease]
R Alberca1, D Salas, J A Pérez-Gil
1Unidad de enfermedad de Alzheimer y trastornos de memoria, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla.
Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain)
|November 26, 1999
Summary
Verbal fluency tests, particularly the time taken to name items, are valuable for detecting Alzheimer's disease (AD). A shortened semantic verbal fluency test, focusing on animal names within the first fifteen seconds, shows promise for early AD detection in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
- Psychometrics
Context:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive and functional decline.
- Verbal fluency deficits are a known early symptom of AD.
- Standardized verbal fluency tests are used to assess cognitive function.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of different verbal fluency tests for detecting probable AD.
- To compare semantic and literal verbal fluency measures in AD patients and controls.
- To identify a potentially shorter, more efficient verbal fluency examination for AD detection.
Summary:
- This study compared verbal fluency test results between 74 probable AD patients and 64 controls.
- Semantic and literal fluency were assessed using a "set-test," analyzing categories, time, and word counts.
- Analysis included ANOVA and contrast of means, with specific focus on animal naming within timed intervals.
Impact:
- The time taken to complete verbal fluency tasks is a significant indicator for AD detection, potentially outperforming word count.
- A brief semantic verbal fluency test, focusing on animal names within the initial 15 seconds, maintains diagnostic value.
- These findings support the development of shorter, practical verbal fluency assessments for early AD screening in general practice.