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Script Generation as an Efficient Measure of Cognition and Everyday Function in Older Adults
Melissa Rosahl1, Marina Kaplan1, Moira McKniff1
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, 1701 N 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|December 25, 2025
Summary
The Script Generation Task (SGT) efficiently detects mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and functional difficulties. Participants with MCI produced less detailed descriptions, showing the SGT
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and functional difficulties significantly impact older adults' quality of life.
- Early detection is crucial for timely intervention and management.
- Existing diagnostic tools may not always capture subtle, early-stage impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the Script Generation Task (SGT) as an efficient method for identifying mild functional difficulties and MCI.
- To assess the SGT's ability to differentiate between healthy controls (HC) and individuals with MCI.
- To explore the correlation between SGT performance and other cognitive and functional measures.
Main Methods:
- 83 participants (57 HC, 26 MCI) completed the SGT, performance-based everyday function tests, cognitive assessments, and questionnaires.
- SGT responses were transcribed and analyzed using both human raters and automated text analysis.
- Linguistic features, such as the number of steps and pronoun-to-noun ratio, were examined.
Main Results:
- Participants with MCI generated fewer SGT steps and took less time compared to HC.
- MCI participants used a higher proportion of pronouns relative to nouns, indicating less specific descriptions.
- SGT performance correlated significantly with episodic memory tests, performance-based everyday function measures, and subjective functioning questionnaires.
Conclusions:
- The Script Generation Task (SGT) shows significant promise as a sensitive and efficient tool for detecting early signs of cognitive and functional decline in older adults.
- The SGT's ability to capture linguistic markers of reduced specificity offers a novel approach to identifying MCI.
- This task provides a valuable, time-efficient measure for clinical and research settings focused on aging and cognitive health.
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