Semantic verbal fluency in Alzheimer's disease: approaches beyond the traditional scoring system

This study aimed to expand extant Alzheimer's disease (AD) research on cluster size and switching strategies in semantic verbal fluency (SVF). First, it addressed a significant shortcoming in research, that is, the use of a single semantic category (i.e., Animal). Second, it examined subjects of lower education levels, as research to date has primarily focussed on tertiary education. Subjects were 26 mild to moderate AD patients and 26 healthy elderly, 65 years old and over, with less than 12 years of schooling. The study examined the cluster size and switching variables, together with the number of subcategories, in two semantic categories (i.e., Animal and Supermarket). Furthermore, it investigated the error patterns (i.e., repetitions and categorical errors) across three semantic categories (i.e., Animal, Supermarket and Furniture). The findings provide preliminary support for category-specific effects on qualitative aspects of SVF highlighting the need to incorporate multiple semantic categories to research and clinical practice.