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Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
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Cognitive components of aging-related increase in word-finding difficulty
Hsi T Wei1,2, Dana Kulzhabayeva1,2, Lella Erceg2,3
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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.
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.
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