scholarly journals Knowledge of semantic categories in normal aged: Influence of education

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Shimura Barea ◽  
Leticia Lessa Mansur
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Semantic Categories ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Naming Test ◽  
Semantic Attributes ◽  
Fluency Test

Abstract Semantic memory seems to resist the effects of time, remaining stable even in more advanced ages. Objective: To verify the effect of schooling level on semantic knowledge (non-living items) in normal aged. Method: 48 aged individuals were divided into three groups (based on schooling) and evaluated. Three tests were applied: verbal fluency, naming and figure classification. Results: We verified that the group with greater schooling (>8 years) differed to the illiterate and low schooling groups in most of the tasks, evoking more items in verbal fluency, correctly naming more items and presenting a greater number of "formal categories". Discussion: In the verbal fluency test, this difference could be explained by the types of strategies used by the individuals to recall words. In relation to the naming test, the effect could be attributed to limitation in the vocabulary and cognitive processing skills needed to search for semantic attributes of the figures. In categorization, this type of classification is dependent on scholastic learning. Conclusion: We concluded that both illiterate elderly and those having a low schooling level, presented poorer performance in semantic memory tests compared to the aged with a higher level of schooling. The similar behavior evidenced between illiterate and low schooling groups is intriguing. It remains unclear whether the low schooling group behaved like the illiterates or vice-a-versa. This unanswered question remains the subject of future studies.

scholarly journals 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

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.

scholarly journals Depressive symptoms and cognitive performance of the elderly: relationship between institutionalization and activity programs

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Cristina F Plati ◽  
Priscila Covre ◽  
Katerina Lukasova ◽  
Elizeu Coutinho de Macedo
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Boston Naming Test ◽  
Visual Organization ◽  
State Examination ◽  
Naming Test ◽  
Fluency Test

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms and to evaluate cognitive performance of institutionalized versus non-institutionalized elderly subjects and to compare the effect of institutionalization and participation in the institution's activity programs on their cognitive performance. METHOD: A group of 120 elderly subjects with a mean age of 71 years and average schooling of 4.2 years was evaluated. The participants were divided into 3 groups: non-institutionalized (n = 37); institutionalized with activities (n = 37); institutionalized without activities (n = 46). The groups were matched for age, gender and educational level. The following assessment instruments were used: the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Verbal Fluency Test and the computerized versions of the Hooper Visual Organization Test and the Boston Naming Test. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS: The two groups of institutionalized elderly showed higher frequency of depressive symptoms when compared to non-institutionalized subjects and worse performance on the Verbal Fluency Test. The institutionalized group without activities had lower scores on Mental State Examination, Boston Naming Test and Hooper Visual Organization Test when compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Institutionalization of the elderly seems to be related to worse cognitive performance. Activity programs during institutionalization may be effective in minimizing cognitive functional loss.

scholarly journals Analysis of brief language tests in the detection of cognitive decline and dementia

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Radanovic ◽  
Maria Teresa Carthery-Goulart ◽  
Helenice Charchat-Fichman ◽  
Emílio Herrera Jr. ◽  
Edson Erasmo Pereira Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Semantic Categories ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
Naming Test

Abstract Lexical access difficulties are frequent in normal aging and initial stages of dementia. Verbal fluency tests are valuable to detect cognitive decline, evidencing lexico-semantic and executive dysfunction. Objectives: To establish which language tests can contribute in detecting dementia and to verify schooling influence on subject performance. Method: 74 subjects: 33 controls, 17 Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0.5 and 24 (Brief Cognitive Battery - BCB e Boston Naming Test - BNT) 1 were compared in tests of semantic verbal fluency (animal and fruit), picture naming (BCB and BNT) and the language items of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: There were significant differences between the control group and both CDR 0.5 and CDR 1 in all tests. Cut-off scores were: 11 and 10 for animal fluency, 8 for fruit fluency (in both), 8 and 9 for BCB naming. The CDR 0.5 group performed better than the CDR 1 group only in animal fluency. Stepwise multiple regression revealed fruit fluency, animal fluency and BCB naming as the best discriminators between patients and controls (specificity: 93.8%; sensitivity: 91.3%). In controls, comparison between illiterates and literates evidenced schooling influence in all tests, except for fruit fluency and BCB naming. In patients with dementia, only fruit fluency was uninfluenced by schooling. Conclusion: The combination of verbal fluency tests in two semantic categories along with a simple picture naming test is highly sensitive in detecting cognitive decline. Comparison between literate and illiterate subjects shows a lesser degree of influence of schooling on the selected tests, thus improving discrimination between low performance and incipient cognitive decline.

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.

Biographical Studies of G.I. Gurdjieff

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-35
Author(s):  
Joseph Azize
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Research ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Subject

The various published biographies and biographical notices of G.I. Gurdjieff (c.1865-1949) are of diverse style, quantity and content. While some have made considerable contributions to the subject, most attempts have reacted for or against Gurdjieff’s status as what might call an ‘Enlightened Master’. Little biographical writing on Gurdjieff has questioned the scope, reliability and prejudices of the sources. Further, possible resources have been neglected. The development in Gurdjieff’s ideas is often overlooked, his life is not sufficiently related to that development, and the lack of comparative research has failed to highlight Gurdjieff’s unique contributions. This article is structured in four parts. The first is an introduction, followed by an overview of existing biographical studies of Gurdjieff. The third part addresses bias in these studies, and this is followed by suggestions for future studies. It is concluded that fieldwork regarding the biography of Gurdjieff has been hampered by imperfect methodology. However, with better use of the source material, some of which has only recently been discovered, and a rigorous use of sources, a more balanced and nuanced picture of Gurdjieff’s life, and the development of his ideas and methods, should emerge.

Patients with amnestic MCI Fail to Adapt Executive Control When Repeatedly Tested with Semantic Verbal Fluency Tasks

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Johannes Tröger ◽  
Hali Lindsay ◽  
Mario Mina ◽  
Nicklas Linz ◽  
Stefan Klöppel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Control ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Fixed Time ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Semantic Verbal Fluency ◽  
Amnestic Mci ◽  
Retrieval Processes ◽  
Theoretical View ◽  
First Time

Abstract Objective: Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) tasks require individuals to name items from a specified category within a fixed time. An impaired SVF performance is well documented in patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). The two leading theoretical views suggest either loss of semantic knowledge or impaired executive control to be responsible. Method: We assessed SVF 3 times on 2 consecutive days in 29 healthy controls (HC) and 29 patients with aMCI with the aim to answer the question which of the two views holds true. Results: When doing the task for the first time, patients with aMCI produced fewer and more common words with a shorter mean response latency. When tested repeatedly, only healthy volunteers increased performance. Likewise, only the performance of HC indicated two distinct retrieval processes: a prompt retrieval of readily available items at the beginning of the task and an active search through semantic space towards the end. With repeated assessment, the pool of readily available items became larger in HC, but not patients with aMCI. Conclusion: The production of fewer and more common words in aMCI points to a smaller search set and supports the loss of semantic knowledge view. The failure to improve performance as well as the lack of distinct retrieval processes point to an additional impairment in executive control. Our data did not clearly favour one theoretical view over the other, but rather indicates that the impairment of patients with aMCI in SVF is due to a combination of both.

scholarly journals Lexical Semantic Knowledge of Children with ASD—a Review Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nufar Sukenik ◽  
Laurice Tuller
Keyword(s):  
Children With Autism ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lexical Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Review Study ◽  
Linguistic Impairment ◽  
Semantic Skills

AbstractStudies on the lexical semantic abilities of children with autism have yielded contradicting results. The aim of the current review was to explore studies that have specifically focused on the lexical semantic abilities of children with ASD and try to find an explanation for these contradictions. In the 32 studies reviewed, no single factor was found to affect lexical semantic skills, although children with broader linguistic impairment generally, but not universally, also showed impaired lexical semantic skills. The need for future studies with young ASD participants, with differing intellectual functioning, longitudinal studies, and studies assessing a wide range of language domains are discussed.

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.

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

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).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document