scholarly journals Clinical Application of Standardized Cognitive Assessment Using fMRI. II. Verbal Fluency

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 141-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Allen ◽  
Alina K. Fong
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Performance Tests ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Phonemic Fluency ◽  
Fluency Test

In this study, we describe an fMRI version of the verbal fluency test. This is the second in a series of fMRI adaptations of classical neuropsychological tests, for which normative samples of functional activation have been collected from unimpaired control subjects and structured in a manner that makes individual patient evaluation possible in terms of familiar z-score distributions. This fMRI protocol is shown to have strong convergent validity with the FAS phonemic fluency test and to elicit activation patterns highly consistent with a large body of previous neuroimaging studies of verbal fluency. We also present a case study, in which we report concurrent data from a patient with selective deficits in verbal processing, using both conventional neuropsychological and fMRI approaches. These analyses reveal striking correspondences between the deficits present in this patient on cognitive performance tests and the equally selective patterns of deviation present in his fMRI data.

Verbal fluency in Parkinson's disease: results of a 2-min fluency test

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Scholtissen ◽  
J. Dijkstra ◽  
J. Reithler ◽  
A. F. G. Leentjens
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Impaired Performance ◽  
Phonemic Fluency ◽  
Retrieval Strategies ◽  
Fluency Task ◽  
Fluency Test

Background:Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) are often reported to have an impaired performance on tests measuring executive functioning, such as fluency tasks.Aim:To investigate whether verbal fluency is impaired in PD patients (n = 25) compared with healthy controls (n = 15) using a 2-min semantic and phonemic verbal fluency test. A 2-min version of the fluency task was used to allow for more switches between clusters to study retrieval strategies more adequately.Results:No differences in performance on both semantic and phonemic fluency tasks between the PD patients and the control persons were found. Moreover, both groups appeared to use the same retrieval strategies.Conclusion:Patients suffering from PD appear to use the same strategies for producing words as healthy controls do. Different pathways may be involved in switching clusters during the fluency task than in other types of switching that may be impaired in PD, such as motor switching and concept-shifting.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of Divergent Thinking in Patients with Schizophrenia

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nemoto ◽  
Masafumi Mizuno ◽  
Haruo Kashima
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Minimal Level ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Frontal Lobe Function ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Design Fluency ◽  
Fluency Test

Patients with schizophrenia show deficits across a broad spectrum of neurocognitive domains. In particular, deficits in verbal fluency are common. Verbal fluency tests are neuropsychological tests that assess frontal lobe function or executive function but also assess divergent thinking. However, few studies have considered the impairment of verbal fluency from the viewpoint of divergent thinking. To consider the structure of divergent thinking, not only verbal assessments but also non-verbal assessments are indispensable. We administered several fluency tests, the idea fluency test, the design fluency test, and word (letter and category) fluency tests to 26 patients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy control subjects to evaluate divergent thinking in both groups and assessed their responses qualitatively. An acceptable minimal level of intelligence was maintained in the patient group. Although attention and executive functioning were relatively preserved in the subjects with schizophrenia, they demonstrated significant deficits in divergent thinking and had particular difficulty in producing ideas and designs requiring concept flexibility, a conversion of viewpoint, originality, or novelty. Research on deficits in divergent thinking in patients with schizophrenia may contribute to the development of cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation programs.

scholarly journals Phonemic verbal fluency task in adults with high-level literacy

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Romano Opasso ◽  
Simone dos Santos Barreto ◽  
Karin Zazo Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Reference Values ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Phonemic Fluency ◽  
Phonemic Verbal Fluency ◽  
High Level ◽  
Fluency Test

ABSTRACT Objective: To establish normative parameters for the F-A-S form of the phonemic verbal fluency test, in a population of Brazilian Portuguese speaking adults with high-level literacy. Methods: The sample comprised 40 male and female volunteers aged 19 to 59 years, and at least 8 years of formal education. Volunteers were first submitted to the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Clock Drawing cognitive screening tests, then to the F-A-S Verbal Phonemic Fluency Test; in this test, examinees were given 60 seconds to generate as many words as possible beginning with each of the three test letters. Results: The means for number of words beginning the letters F, A and S and for total number of words beginning with either letter generated per minute corresponded to 15.3, 14.4, 13.9 and 43.5, respectively. Conclusion: Reference values obtained from young adults with high levels of literacy submitted to the F-A-S Verbal Phonemic Fluency Test in this study were similar to those reported in the international literature. These reference values can be used for clinical assessment of language disorder and neuropsychological evaluation.

scholarly journals Discriminative validity of an abbreviated Semantic Verbal Fluency Test

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
José David Herrera-García ◽  
Iago Rego-García ◽  
Virginia Guillén-Martínez ◽  
María Carrasco-García ◽  
Carmen Valderrama-Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Global Deterioration Scale ◽  
Classical Version ◽  
Semantic Verbal Fluency ◽  
Examination Time ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Fluency Task ◽  
Fluency Test

ABSTRACT. Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) is one of the most widely used tests for cognitive assessment due to its diagnostic utility (DU). Objective: our objective is to evaluate the DU to detect cognitive impairment (CI) of a short version of the SVF applied in 30 seconds (SVF1-30). Methods: a prospective sample of consecutive patients evaluated in a Neurology Unit between December 2016 and December 2017 were assessed with the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), 30-second and 60-second SVF tests (animals), and the Fototest, which includes a fluency task of people’s names. The DU for CI was evaluated by the area under the ROC curve and effect size (“d” Cohen). Results: the study included 1012 patients (256 with CI, 395 with dementia). SVF1-30 shows a good correlation with GDS stage. The DU of SVF1-30 is identical to that of the classical version, applied in 60 seconds, (SVFtotal) for CI (0.89 ± 0.01; p > 0.50), and shows no significant difference for dementia (0.85 ± 0.01 vs. 0.86 ± 0.01, p > 0.15). Discussion: the DU of SVF1-30 is similar to that of the SVFtotal, allowing a reduction in examination time with no loss of discriminative capacity.

scholarly journals Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment to Evaluate People with Addictions

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Rojo-Mota ◽  
Eduardo J. Pedrero-Pérez ◽  
José M. Ruiz-Sánchez de León ◽  
Irene León-Frade ◽  
Patricia Aldea-Poyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Addiction Treatment ◽  
Addictive Behaviors ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Valid Test ◽  
Psychometric Quality ◽  
Functional Areas

Background. The LOTCA (Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment) battery is a cognitive screening test which is widely used in occupational health. However, no work has been found that explores its use in addiction treatment.Objectives of Study. To explore the convergent validity of LOTCA with neuropsychological tests that assess related cerebral functional areas.Methods. The LOTCA, along with a battery of neuropsychological tests, was administered to a sample of 48 subjects who start a treatment by substance or gambling addictions.Findings. A correlational pattern was observed of a considerable magnitude between the effects of the LOTCA scales and those of some neuropsychological tests, but not with others. There is barely any convergence in measures with memory and executive function tests.Relevance to Clinical Practice. There is a lack of research applying test of occupational assessment to populations of patients treated by addictive behaviors. The LOTCA seems to be a reliable and valid test for preliminary screening of function in certain cognitive areas, easy, and quick to use (around 30 minutes). However, it must be supplemented with other tests for a full and ecological assessment of patients.Limitations. An incident, small-size sample.Recommendations for Further Research. New studies are needed to explore the applicability, diagnostic validity, and whole psychometric quality of the test in addiction-related treatment.

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

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.

scholarly journals A Within-Sample Comparison of Two Innovative Neuropsychological Tests for Assessing ADHD

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Anna Baader ◽  
Behnaz Kiani ◽  
Nathalie Brunkhorst-Kanaan ◽  
Sarah Kittel-Schneider ◽  
Andreas Reif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Clinical Parameters ◽  
Performance Tests ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Continuous Performance Tests ◽  
Interesting Correlation ◽  
Clinical Measures

New innovative neuropsychological tests in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD have been proposed as objective measures for diagnosis and therapy. The current study aims to investigate two different commercial continuous performance tests (CPT) in a head-to-head comparison regarding their comparability and their link with clinical parameters. The CPTs were evaluated in a clinical sample of 29 adult patients presenting in an ADHD outpatient clinic. Correlational analyses were performed between neuropsychological data, clinical rating scales, and a personality-based measure. Though inattention was found to positively correlate between the two tests (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), no association with clinical measures and inattention was found for both tests. While hyperactivity did not correlate between both tests, current ADHD symptoms were positively associated with Nesplora Aquarium’s motor activity (r = 0.52 to 0.61, p < 0.05) and the Qb-Test’s hyperactivity (r = 0.52 to 0.71, p < 0.05). Conclusively, the overall comparability of the tests was limited and correlation with clinical parameters was low. While our study shows some interesting correlation between clinical symptoms and sub-scales of these tests, usage in clinical practice is not recommended.

scholarly journals Which Neuropsychological Tests? Predicting Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease in the ICICLE-PD Cohort

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rachael A. Lawson ◽  
Caroline H. Williams-Gray ◽  
Marta Camacho ◽  
Gordon W. Duncan ◽  
Tien K. Khoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Attention And Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Global Cognition

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with 80% cumulatively developing dementia (PDD). Objective: We sought to identify tests that are sensitive to change over time above normal ageing so as to refine the neuropsychological tests predictive of PDD. Methods: Participants with newly diagnosed PD (n = 211) and age-matched controls (n = 99) completed a range of clinical and neuropsychological tests as part of the ICICLE-PD study at 18-month intervals over 72 months. Impairments on tests were determined using control means (<1-2SD) and median scores. Mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) was classified using 1-2SD below normative values. Linear mixed effects modelling assessed cognitive decline, while Cox regression identified baseline predictors of PDD. Results: At 72 months, 46 (cumulative probability 33.9%) participants had developed PDD; these participants declined at a faster rate in tests of global cognition, verbal fluency, memory and attention (p <  0.05) compared to those who remained dementia-free. Impaired baseline global cognition, visual memory and attention using median cut-offs were the best predictors of early PDD (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.88, p <  0.001) compared to control-generated cut-offs (AUC = 0.76–0.84, p <  0.001) and PD-MCI (AUC] = 0.64–0.81, p <  0.001). Impaired global cognition and semantic fluency were the most useful brief tests employable in a clinical setting (AUC = 0.79, p <  0.001). Conclusion: Verbal fluency, attention and memory were sensitive to change in early PDD and may be suitable tests to measure therapeutic response in future interventions. Impaired global cognition, attention and visual memory were the most accurate predictors for developing a PDD. Future studies could consider adopting these tests for patient clinical trial stratification.

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