Is Old Age Just a Number in Language Skills? Language Performance and Its Relation to Age, Education, Gender, Cognitive Screening, and Dentition in Very Old Finnish Speakers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Sonja Alantie ◽  
Jukka Tyrkkö ◽  
Tanja Makkonen ◽  
Kati Renvall
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Recursive Partitioning ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Predictor Variables ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Very Old

Purpose: This study reports on how very old (VO) Finnish people without dementia perform in the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and two verbal fluency tasks and which demographic factors predict the performance. Method: The study included fifty 80- to 100-year-old community-dwelling Finnish speakers with no dementing illnesses or speech-language disabilities, who completed the WAB and two verbal fluency tasks. Multifactorial statistical analyses with recursive partitioning were carried out to determine the significant predictors out of five predictor variables (age, gender, education, dentition, and Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) for four response variables (WAB Aphasia Quotient [AQ], Language Quotient [LQ], semantic, and phonemic word fluencies). Results: Overall, individual variation was notable in VO speakers. All predictor variables were statistically significantly associated with one or more of the language skills. Age was the most significant predictor; the critical age of 85–86 years was associated with a decline in WAB-AQ and semantic fluency. Poor dentition and the MMSE score both predicted a decline in WAB-LQ and phonemic fluency. A high level of education was positively associated with the skills of the best-performing individuals in WAB-AQ, WAB-LQ, and semantic fluency. Conclusions: VO age is a significant factor contributing to language performance. However, a younger age, a good cognitive performance, intact teeth, and a higher educational level also seem to have a preservative power as regards language skills. Gender differences should be interpreted with caution. The results of this study provide culture- and language-specific normative data, which aids in differentiating typical aging from the signs of acute or degenerative neuropathology to ensure appropriate medical and therapeutic interventions.

A-11 Investigating Gene–Gene Interactions by Cognitive Domain in Healthy Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1051-1051
Author(s):  
Kendra L Pizzonia ◽  
Andrew M Bryant ◽  
Leatha A Clark ◽  
Brian C Clark ◽  
Julie A Suhr
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Gene Interactions ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Main Effects

Abstract Objective ApoE is a well-known gene carrying risk for Alzheimer’s disease and is associated with memory performance while the COMT gene is associated with executive functioning but is understudied. The present study investigated these gene interactions across cognitive domains. Method A larger study on gait and aging recruited 89 healthy community-dwelling adults over the age of 60. The primary analyses included 82 participants (67% female, mean age = 74.61, SD = 6.71). The analyses on executive functioning included 72 participants (65% female, mean age = 73.02, SD = 4.99) who completed all measures of interest. ApoE status was defined as presence/absence of Ɛ4. The rs4680 gene on the COMT allele was classified into Val/Met, Val/Val, and Met/Met genotypes. Biological sex was included as a binary term (i.e., male/female). Index variables and age corrected standard scores on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, verbal fluency, and Trail Making Test were included. Results Gene–gene interactions were found for overall cognitive functioning, immediate memory, and semantic fluency. There were main effects of sex for overall cognitive functioning, immediate memory, delayed memory, and semantic fluency. There were main effects for COMT for delayed memory and a main effect for both COMT and ApoE for visuospatial functioning, coding, and verbal fluency (all p’s < 0.05). There were no ApoE x COMT x Sex interactions and Trail Making Test B was not related to either gene or sex. Conclusion(s) Our findings suggest that both COMT and ApoE (and their interaction) influence cognition. Future research should investigate gene–gene interactions in larger samples with more comprehensive cognitive batteries.

scholarly journals Population normative data for three cognitive screening tools for older adults in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-349
Author(s):  
William Keith Gray ◽  
Stella-Maria Paddick ◽  
Adesola Ogunniyi ◽  
Olaide Olakehinde ◽  
Catherine Dotchin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Word List ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),cognitive screening is complicated by both cultural and educational factors, and the existing normative values may not be applicable. The Identification of Dementia in Elderly Africans (IDEA) cognitive screen is a low-literacy measure with good diagnostic accuracy for dementia. Objective: The aim of this study is to report normative values for IDEA and other simple measures [i.e., categorical verbal fluency, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) 10-word list] in representative community-dwelling older adults in SSA. Methods: Individuals aged ≥60 years resident in 12 representative villages in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and individuals aged ≥65 years resident within three communities in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria underwent cognitive screening. The normative data were generated by the categories of age, sex, and education. Results: A total of 3,011 people in Tanzania (i.e., 57.3% females and 26.4% uneducated) and 1,117 in Nigeria (i.e., 60.3% females and 64.5% uneducated) were screened. Individuals with higher age, lower education, and female gender obtained lower scores. The 50th decile values for IDEA were 13 (60–64 years) vs. 8/9 (above 85 years), 10–11 uneducated vs. 13 primary educated, and 11/12 in females vs. 13 in males. The normative values for 10-word list delayed recall and categorical verbal fluency varied with education [i.e., delayed recall mean 2.8 [standard deviation (SD) 1.7] uneducated vs. 4.2 (SD 1.2) secondary educated; verbal fluency mean 9.2 (SD 4.8) uneducated vs. 12.2 (SD 4.3) secondary educated], substantially lower than published high-income country values. Conclusions: The cut-off values for commonly used cognitive screening items should be adjusted to suit local normative values, particularly where there are lower levels of education.

Spin Exercise Improves Semantic Fluency in Previously Sedentary Older Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe R. Nocera ◽  
Keith M. McGregor ◽  
Chris J. Hass ◽  
Bruce Crosson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Exercise Group ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Aerobic Exercise Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
The Impact

Studies suggest improvements of neurocognitive function among older adults who undergo aerobic exercise training. This study sought to examine the impact of an aerobic exercise intervention on verbal fluency in sedentary older adults. Twenty community-dwelling older adults were recruited and enrolled in either a spin exercise group or a control condition. Participants were evaluated with an estimated V02max test and on measures of letter, category, and switching verbal fluency both before and after a 12-week intervention period. Spin exercise resulted in a significant improvement in category (semantic) verbal fluency when compared with the control group (15% vs. 2% increase, respectively; P = .001). Spin exercise also resulted in a significant improvement in estimated V02max (P = .005). Also important, the spin exercise group demonstrated a high level of adherence (mean adherence = 82.5%). Spin exercise can be an effective mode of aerobic exercise to improve semantic fluency in previously sedentary older adults.

scholarly journals Normative data for the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery stratified by age and education

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mônica Sanches Yassuda ◽  
Henrique Salmazo da Silva ◽  
Thais Bento Lima-Silva ◽  
Meire Cachioni ◽  
Deusivania Vieira da Silva Falcão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorders ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Clock Drawing Test ◽  
Clock Drawing ◽  
Drawing Test ◽  
Screening Battery ◽  
Low Educated

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diagnosing neurocognitive disorders is challenging in low-educated individuals. Objective: To report normative data for the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) and to assess the association of age and education with performance on the BCSB in 240 community-dwelling elderly from Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo city. Methods: The inclusion criteria were scoring above the education-adjusted cut-off points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and below six points on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: Age was associated with performance on the Naming, Incidental Memory, Verbal Fluency, Clock Drawing Test, Delayed Recall and Recognition subtests. Education was associated with performance on Naming, Recognition, Verbal Fluency and the Clock Drawing Test. Conclusion: The normative values reported are relevant for diagnosing neurocognitive disorders in low-educated elderly.

Neuropsychological Test Performance in Framingham: A Descriptive Study

1987 ◽  
Vol 60 (3_part_2) ◽  
pp. 1023-1040
Author(s):  
Mary E. Farmer ◽  
Lon R. White ◽  
Steven J. Kittner ◽  
Edith Kaplan ◽  
Elizabeth Moes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Abstract Thinking ◽  
Framingham Study ◽  
Hearing Impairments

In 1976–1978, a battery of eight neuropsychologic tests was administered to 2,123 participants in the Framingham Study aged 55 to 89 yr. The battery was designed to sample multiple areas of cognitive function including language skills, memory, learning, reproduction of designs, attention, and abstract thinking. Performance is described for several groups in this population: a large community-dwelling sample, those with hearing impairments, and those with documented strokes. Performance is described by age, sex, and education strata for the community sample. This normative information should be useful for interpreting individual test performance on neuropsychological tests.

Exploring the Association between Multimorbidity and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults Living in the Community: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 108482232110304
Author(s):  
Grace F. Wittenberg ◽  
Michelle A. McKay ◽  
Melissa O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Increased Risk

Two-thirds of older adults have multimorbidity (MM), or co-occurrence of two or more medical conditions. Mild cognitive impairment (CI) is found in almost 20% of older adults and can lead to further cognitive decline and increased mortality. Older adults with MM are the primary users of home health care services and are at high risk for CI development; however, there is no validated cognitive screening tool used to assess the level of CI in home health users. Given the prevalence of MM and CI in the home health setting, we conducted a review of the literature to understand this association. Due to the absence of literature on CI in home health users, the review focused on the association of MM and CI in community-dwelling older adults. Search terms included home health, older adults, cognitive impairment, and multimorbidity and were applied to the databases PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo leading to eight studies eligible for review. Results show CI is associated with MM in older adults of increasing age, among minorities, and in older adults with lower levels of education. Heart disease was the most prevalent disease associated with increased CI. Sleep disorders, hypertension, arthritis, and hyperlipidemia were also significantly associated with increased CI. The presence of MM and CI was associated with increased risk for death among older adults. Further research and attention are needed regarding the use and development of a validated cognitive assessment tool for home health users to decrease adverse outcomes in the older adult population.

scholarly journals An Examination of Semantic Impairment in Amnestic MCI and AD: What Can We Learn From Verbal Fluency?

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-30
Author(s):  
M -J Chasles ◽  
A Tremblay ◽  
F Escudier ◽  
A Lajeunesse ◽  
S Benoit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Amnestic Mci ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Subject Factor ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Introduction The Verbal Fluency Test (VF) is commonly used in neuropsychology. Some studies have demonstrated a marked impairment of semantic VF compared to phonemic VF in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) is associated with increased risk of conversion to incident AD, it is relevant to examine whether a similar impairment is observed in this population. The objective of the present empirical study is to compare VF performance of aMCI patients to those of AD and elderly controls matched one-to-one for age and education. Method Ninety-six participants divided into three equal groups (N = 32: AD, aMCI and Controls) were included in this study. Participants in each group were, on average, 76 years of age and had 13 years of education. A repeated measures ANOVA with the Group (AD, aMCI, NC) as between-subject factor and the Fluency condition (“P” and “animals”) as within-subject factor was performed. T-tests and simple ANOVAs were also conducted to examine the interaction. Results There was a significant interaction between the groups and the verbal fluency condition. In AD, significantly fewer words were produced in both conditions. In contrast, participants with aMCI demonstrated a pattern similar to controls in the phonemic condition, but generated significantly fewer words in the semantic condition. Conclusion These results indicate a semantic memory impairment in aMCI revealed by a simple, commonly-used neuropsychological test. Future studies are needed to investigate if semantic fluency deficits can help predict future conversion to AD.

scholarly journals ADHD Endophenotypes in Caribbean Families

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (14) ◽  
pp. 2100-2114 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Cervantes-Henríquez ◽  
J. E. Acosta-López ◽  
M. L. Martínez-Banfi ◽  
J. I. Vélez ◽  
E. Mejía-Segura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Rate Sensitivity ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Classification Rate ◽  
Mental Control ◽  
Adhd Diagnosis ◽  
Caribbean Community ◽  
Neuropsychological Tasks ◽  
Caribbean Families ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Objective: The aim of this study is to contrast the genetics of neuropsychological tasks in individuals from nuclear families clustering ADHD in a Caribbean community. Method: We recruited and clinically characterized 408 individuals using an extensive battery of neuropsychological tasks. The genetic variance underpinning these tasks was estimated by heritability. A predictive framework for ADHD diagnosis was derived using these tasks. Results: We found that individuals with ADHD differed from controls in tasks of mental control, visuospatial ability, visuoverbal memory, phonological and verbal fluency, verbal and semantic fluency, cognitive flexibility, and cognitive ability. Among them, tasks of mental control, visuoverbal memory, phonological fluency, semantic verbal fluency, and intelligence had a significant heritability. A predictive model of ADHD diagnosis using these endophenotypes yields remarkable classification rate, sensitivity, specificity, and precision values (above 80%). Conclusion: We have dissected new cognitive endophenotypes in ADHD that can be suitable to assess the neurobiological and genetic basis of ADHD.

scholarly journals Performance of Children in Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency Tasks

Psico-USF ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilmara de Lucena Leite ◽  
Izabel Augusta Hazin Pires ◽  
Laura Carolina Lemos Aragão ◽  
Artemis Paiva de Paula ◽  
Ediana Rossely de Oliveira Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Memory ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Northeast Region ◽  
Semantic Verbal Fluency ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Brazilian Northeast

Abstract This study investigated the performance of children from the Brazilian Northeast region, from 7 to 10 years in phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks. The participants were 102 subjects (62 girls and 40 boys) who performed three phonemic and three semantic fluency tasks. The results were submitted to correlational and variance analysis to investigate the influence of the variables age and gender on the subjects performance. There was no effect of gender on the results. Significant contrasts between age groups were found, and better performance was observed on phonemic tasks. Also, the performance in this task changed along development, in contrast to what happened with the semantic fluency. The findings seem to be in accordance to neurodevelopmental aspects, taken into account that explicit memory systems show more precocious maturational course, with earlier consolidation, in comparison to the executive functions and frontal lobes, which go on developing until adult ages.

scholarly journals Orientation and verbal fluency in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: modifiable risk factors for falls?

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1491-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. O. Smith ◽  
S. R. Neal ◽  
G. Peryer ◽  
K. J. Sheehan ◽  
M. P. Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACTObjectives:To determine the relationship between falls and deficits in specific cognitive domains in older adults.Design:An analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort.Setting:United Kingdom community-based.Participants:5197 community-dwelling older adults recruited to a prospective longitudinal cohort study.Measurements:Data on the occurrence of falls and number of falls, which occurred during a 12-month follow-up period, were assessed against the specific cognitive domains of memory, numeracy skills, and executive function. Binomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between each cognitive domain and the dichotomous outcome of falls in the preceding 12 months using unadjusted and adjusted models.Results:Of the 5197 participants included in the analysis, 1308 (25%) reported a fall in the preceding 12 months. There was no significant association between the occurrence of a fall and specific forms of cognitive dysfunction after adjusting for self-reported hearing, self-reported eyesight, and functional performance. After adjustment, only orientation (odds ratio [OR]: 0.80; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.65–0.98, p = 0.03) and verbal fluency (adjusted OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–1.00; p = 0.05) remained significant for predicting recurrent falls.Conclusions:The cognitive phenotype rather than cognitive impairmentper semay predict future falls in those presenting with more than one fall.

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