Lower semantic verbal fluency at baseline indicates future decline in subjective cognitive decline

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a concern for older adults regarding cognitive function.
• Individuals with SCD have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• Some SCD individuals may exhibit subtle deficits in specific cognitive areas despite normal overall test performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate semantic function in SCD.
• To compare semantic performance between SCD progressors (SCDp) and non-progressors (SCDnp).
• To determine if semantic fluency at baseline predicts future cognitive decline.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the CIMA-Q cohort.
• Matched comparison of 25 SCDp and 25 SCDnp participants based on age and education.
• Neuropsychological assessments at baseline and two-year follow-up, including semantic fluency tests and MoCA scores.
• Statistical analysis using independent samples t-tests, ANCOVAs, and two-factor ANOVAs.

Main Results:

• SCDp participants showed significantly worse baseline performance on the Category (semantic) fluency test compared to SCDnp participants.
• This difference in semantic fluency was not significant at follow-up.
• No baseline differences were observed in other cognitive domains.
• Longitudinal analysis revealed a significant decline in MoCA scores exclusively in the SCDp group.

Conclusions:

• Reduced verbal semantic fluency in older adults with SCD may serve as an early indicator of heightened risk for future cognitive decline.
• Semantic fluency tests could be valuable tools for identifying individuals with SCD who are more likely to progress.
• Further research is warranted to explore the predictive value of specific semantic tasks in SCD.