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Published on: June 25, 2019
Evaluating language comprehension in Alzheimer's disease: the use of the Token test
Jonas Jardim de Paula1, Laiss Bertola, Rodrigo Nicolato
1Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil. jonasjardim@gmail.com
Objective:
To analyze the psychometric properties of the Token test (TT), a verbal comprehension test, and its applicability to the diagnosis of mild Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Methods:
One hundred and sixty participants (80 AD and 80 controls) performed the TT and a short battery of neuropsychological tests designed to evaluate general cognitive status, working memory and executive functions. Internal consistency, factor structure, correlation with other measures and group comparisons were evaluated.
Results:
The test evinced good internal consistency and a bi-factorial structure (related to comprehension and attention). Differences between AD and controls were significant, however the TT presented only moderate sensitivity and specificity for the AD diagnosis.
Conclusion:
The TT showed evidence of good psychometric properties and adequacy for characterizing comprehension deficits in AD, but it was not an appropriate test for the AD detection and diagnosis.
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