A cross-linguistic comparison of category verbal fluency test (ANIMALS): a systematic review

Abstract Background Cross-linguistic information about performance in neuropsychological verbal tests is extremely scarce. It has been suggested that verbal fluency test using animal fluency test is one of the few tests fulfilling the fundamental criteria desirable in a robust neuropsychological test. Objective To compare and establish cross-linguistic information about performance in the animal fluency test. Results In an extensive search, it was found that norms for the semantic fluency test using the category ANIMALS are available in 15 different languages. These languages represent a relatively broad spectrum of world languages, including not only Indo-European languages, but also Semitic, Sino-Tibetan, Austroasiatic, Dravidian, and even Amerindian languages. Normative data in these 15 languages are analyzed and the results are compared. Conclusions It is concluded that (a) pure linguistic factors, such as type of language and word-length, seemingly do not significantly affect the performance in this test; (b) two major demographic variables—age and education—account for a significant percentage of the variance in this test; the effect of sex seems to be neglectable; (c) in bilinguals, when the native language has few speakers and/or is a marginalized language, a very low score can be observed in the native language, even lower than in the second language; (d) there is a frequently overlooked major factor accounting for differences in cognitive test performance: the effort made in performing the test. It depends on the significance given to the test performance. Effort is quite variable across cultures and is higher in psychometric-oriented societies.

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Verbal Fluency Test in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice ◽

10.1055/s-0039-3400347 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (01) ◽

pp. 095-099

Author(s):

Esteban Vaucheret Paz ◽

Celeste Puga ◽

Christy Ekonen ◽

Paula Pintos ◽

Isabel Lascombes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Scale Score ◽

Test Performance ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Semantic Fluency ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Fluency Test

Abstract Background The verbal fluency task is a widely used psychometric test to account for cognitive functions, particularly, verbal and executive functions. Being an easy and fast test to administer, it is a good neuropsychological tool in low technology environments. Our objective was to analyze the performance in verbal fluency of Spanish-speaking children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study to analyze the performance of children who had undergone a verbal fluency test in a neuropsychological assessment. Results We included 115 participants. There were 41 (35.65%) participants with low intellectual performance (LIP), 63 (54.78%) with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and 11(9.57%) participants with dyslexia. Participants with LIP showed lower phonological and semantic fluency scores than participants with ADHD, and a lower performance in semantic fluency than the dyslexia group. The probability of having LIP was 6.12 times greater when somebody had a scale score lower than 7 in the phonological task and it was 7.9 times greater when the scale score was lower than 7 in the semantic task. Conclusion There was a direct relationship between Full Scale Intelligence Quotient and verbal fluency test performance, the latter being a brief and effective neuropsychological test that can reveal deficit not only in executive functions and verbal abilities but also detect LIP.

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Letter Verbal Fluency in Spanish-, Basque-, and Catalan-Speaking Individuals: Does the Selection of the Letters Influence the Outcome?

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0365 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (7) ◽

pp. 2400-2410

Author(s):

Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa ◽

Itziar Benito-Sánchez ◽

Montserrat Alegret ◽

Anna Gailhajanet ◽

Esther Landa Torre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Frontal Lobe ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Native Language ◽

Spanish Speakers ◽

Crucial Step ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Performance Differences ◽

Frontal Lobe Functioning ◽

Selection Of ◽

Fluency Test

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare Basque and Catalan bilinguals' performance on the letter verbal fluency test and determine whether significant differences are present depending on the letters used and the language of administration. Method The sample consisted of 87 Spanish monolinguals, 139 Basque bilinguals, and 130 Catalan bilinguals from Spain. Participants completed the letter verbal fluency test using the letters F, A, S, M, R, P, and E. Results Bilinguals scored higher on the letter verbal fluency test when they were tested in Spanish than in Basque or Catalan. No performance differences were found according to native language or dialects within Basque participants. Catalans with Spanish as their native language scored lower on the letter F compared to those who grew up speaking Catalan and Spanish. The suggested letters to use with Basque speakers are A, E, and B; the suggested letters to use with Catalan speakers are P, F, and M; and the suggested letters to use with Spanish speakers are M, R, and P. Conclusion Selecting appropriate stimuli depending on the language of testing is the first crucial step to assess verbal fluency and thus possible frontal lobe functioning impairment.

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Characteristics of verbal fluency in patients with a primary episode of bipolar affective disorder

Psychiatry Neurology and Medical Psychology ◽

10.26565/2312-5675-2020-13-02 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

High Speed ◽

Bipolar Affective Disorder ◽

Rapid Change ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Manic Symptoms ◽

Fluency Test

A study was conducted using the verbal fluency test of 153 patients with a primary episode of bipolar affective disorder: with prevalence of depressive symptoms (44 men and 75 women), with prevalence of manic symptoms (15 men and 8 women), and with simultaneous presence of depressive symptoms and manic symptoms phase change (6 men and 5 women). Significant impairment of test performance in patients with depression with respect to phonetic and semantic verbal fluency was revealed: the average number of words per letter "K" per 60 sec. in all patients 14,1±2,7 words, in men – 13,8±3,1 words, in women - 14,3±2,4 words, on the letter "P" – 12,5±2,8 respectively words, 12.3±3.2 words, 12.6±2.6 words, "Male Names" – 13.1±2.6 words respectively, 12.8±3.0 words, 13.3±2,4 words; "Fruits / furniture" – 12.0±2.4 words, 11.9±2.8 words, 12.1±2.1 words. Deterioration in the performance of semantic and phonemic verbal fluency test reflects the state of bradypsychism inherent in patients with depressive variant, which manifests a slow thinking rate, difficulty concentrating attention, motor inhibition, deterioration of operational capacity, rapid exhaustion. In patients with a maniacal variant, the high speed of the test is offset by a large number of errors due to the chaotic mental activity, instability and scattering of attention, the difficulty of maintaining focus of attention: the indicators were respectively 21.7±5.7 words, 22.5±5.7 words, 20,3±6.0 words; 20.3±5.6 words, 21.1±5.5 words, 19.0±5.9 words; 20.5±5.4 words, 21.2±5.2 words, 19.1±5.7 words; 19.5±5.4 words, 20.2±5.2 words, 18.1±5.7 words. In patients with mixed variants, the indicators of verbal fluency are reduced due to the influence of complex polymorphic symptoms with rapid change of state: respectively 16.5±5.6 words, 18.2±6.1 words, 14.4±4.8 words; 14.5±5.4 words, 16.2±5.7 words, 12.4±4.8 words; 15.4±5.4 words, 17.0±5.8 words, 13.4±4.8 words; 13.9±5.0 words, 15.5±5.3 words, 12.0±4.3 words. The differences in scores across all subtests in all groups between men and women are statistically insignificant (p>0.05).

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Category Verbal Fluency Test Performance in Chinese Elderly with Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders ◽

10.1159/000079190 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 120-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Edward Hei Lim Mok ◽

Linda Chiu Wa Lam ◽

Helen Fung Kum Chiu

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Chinese Elderly ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Fluency Test

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Developing a Persian Verbal Fluency Test and Comparing the Results Between Healthy Persian Speakers and Persian Speakers Patients With Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Iranian Rehabilitation Journal ◽

10.32598/irj.19.4.1518.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 387-398

Author(s):

Ahmad Reza Khatoonabadi ◽

◽

Mahshid Aghajanzadeh ◽

Saman Maroufizadeh ◽

Zahra Vahabi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Alzheimer Disease ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Normal Group ◽

Semantic Fluency ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Semantic Categories ◽

Cognitively Intact ◽

Fluency Test

Objectives: Phonemic and semantic fluency tasks are used for verbal fluency (VF) evaluation. The present study aimed to select the most appropriate semantic categories and the most frequent phonemes of Persian as items for the VF test. Then, we determine the test results in differentiation between cognitively intact people and those with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer Disease (AD). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 people (60 cognitively intact, 30 with AD, and 30 with MCI) in two phases. In phase one, linguists determine the most frequent phonemes at the beginning of Persian words and the most frequent semantic categories based on a survey. In phase two, the verbal fluency test was administered to cognitively intact people and those with cognitive impairment (patients with AD and MCI). One-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: The normal subjects scored significantly higher in all phonemic and semantic fluency tasks than the patients with AD and people with MCI (P<0.05). Regarding the phonemic VF task, the phonemes /sh/, /s/, and then /a/ were better in differentiating the MCI and AD groups from the normal group. Regarding the semantic VF task, the animals’ category was better differentiated the MCI and AD groups from the normal group. Discussion: Comparing frequent phonemes and semantic categories of Persian across three groups of normal, AD, and MCI showed that some phonemes and semantic categories can be more differentiating in the VF task. However, it is a preliminary validation study, and this topic needs more investigation in the future.

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Association of verbal fluency test with progression to dementia in non‐demented older adults

Geriatrics and Gerontology International ◽

10.1111/ggi.14230 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hiroyuki Umegaki ◽

Yusuke Suzuki

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Fluency Test

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

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acz018 ◽

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.

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Are schizophrenics neuropsychologically impaired affected psychotics? Neuropsychological performance and personality traits in relatives

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1017/s0924270800035511 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 104-104

Author(s):

R.M. Murray ◽

CM. Gilvarry ◽

A. Russell ◽

D. Hemsley

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Neuropsychological Deficits ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Schizophrenic Patients ◽

Adult Reading ◽

Trail Making ◽

National Adult Reading Test ◽

Fluency Test

Neuropsychological deficits are found in both schizophrenic patients and their relatives, and some studies have shown similar, but less severe, deficits in affective psychotic patients and their relatives. We set out to establish – whether schizophrenia spectrum personality traits are more common in the relatives of schizophrenic patients than relatives of affective psychotic patients; – what is the relationship between spectrum personality traits and neuropsychological deficits in these relatives.Relatives were interviewed using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE), and also completed the National Adult Reading Test (NART), the Trail Making Test (TMT: Parts A and B) and Thurstone's Verbal Fluency Test (TVFT). Spectrum personality traits were equally common in the 129 relatives of schizophrenic and 106 relatives of affective psychotic patients. Relatives of psychotic patients who themselves had high paranoid traits had lower NART scores than those without such personality traits (p=0.007);similarly, those with high schizoid personality traits took longer to complete the TMT, part B than those without such traits (p=0.0l); and relatives with high schizotypal traits generated significantly fewer words on the verbal fluency test than those without such traits (p=0.04).

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