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Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

Cognitive components of aging-related increase in word-finding difficulty.

Hsi T Wei^1,2, Dana Kulzhabayeva^1,2, Lella Erceg^2,3

¹Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition

|February 14, 2024

Summary

Word-finding difficulty in aging is common. Processing speed, not specific language or inhibition deficits, best predicts word-finding issues and cognitive decline, suggesting verbal reaction time is a key clinical measure.

Keywords:

Word-finding difficulty aging inhibition deficit hypothesis processing speed theory transmission deficit hypothesis

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Psycholinguistics
Gerontology

Background:

Word-finding difficulty (WFD) is a frequent cognitive complaint in aging adults.
Understanding WFD mechanisms is crucial for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases.
Theories include processing speed, inhibitory deficit, and transmission deficit hypotheses.

Purpose of the Study:

To differentiate between competing theories of word-finding difficulty in aging.
To investigate the relationship between word retrieval, executive functions, and spontaneous WFD.
To assess the diagnostic value of word retrieval tasks for cognitive decline.

Main Methods:

Administered an online gamified picture-word interference (PWI) task to 125 healthy adults (aged 18-85).
Collected executive function task data and naturalistic speech samples.
Analyzed semantic interference and phonological facilitation effects in relation to WFD and aging.

Main Results:

PWI effects supported the transmission deficit hypothesis (TDH) more than the inhibitory deficit hypothesis (IDH).
Semantic interference increased and phonological facilitation decreased with age.
Neither PWI effect correlated with spontaneous WFD; overall reaction time (controlling for psychomotor slowing) was the best predictor.

Conclusions:

Processing speed, reflected in verbal reaction time, appears to be the primary factor in age-related WFD.
Spontaneous WFD and executive function decline are linked to processing speed.
Verbal reaction time may serve as a valuable clinical measure for cognitive aging.