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Feng T, Zhang C, Xu S, Wang L, Xu K, Xie Z, Xiang J, Chen W. A right convergence area of the prefrontal lobe is involved in the improvement of semantic fluency in patients with post-stroke aphasia. Top Stroke Rehabil 2024; 31:301-310. [PMID: 37651207 DOI: 10.1080/10749357.2023.2253632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to longitudinally observe the improvement mechanism of semantic fluency in subacute post-stroke aphasia (PSA) patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS Twelve PSA patients, about one month after onset, were enrolled in this study and received speech-language therapy (SLT) for one month. Auditory comprehension and semantic fluency were evaluated using the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and the Animal Fluency Test. Before and after treatment, rs-fMRI data were collected, and the dice similarity coefficient was used to measure the spatial similarity between each patient's lesion and a reference lesion. The left posterior inferior temporal gyrus (pITG) was used as a seed to calculate the normalized functional connectivity in whole-brain voxel analysis using DPABI software for statistical analysis. RESULTS The dice similarity coefficient between each patient's lesion and the reference lesion showed moderate to high intensity (0.57 ± 0.14) in the Montreal Neurological Institute space. After treatment, we found a significant increase in functional connectivity between the left pITG and the right prefrontal lobe convergence area (peak t = 8.219, Gaussian random field multiple comparison correction, voxel p < 0.001, cluster p < 0.05). The increase in functional connectivity was negatively correlated with the improvement in auditory comprehension (r =-0.707, p = 0.033) and positively correlated with the improvement in semantic fluency (r = 0.79, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION The improvement of semantic fluency in subacute PSA patients may require the participation of the right convergence area of the prefrontal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Feng
- Department of Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Siwei Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lingmin Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhiyuan Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jie Xiang
- Department of Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China
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Hayton J, Marshall J, Girvan H, Marshall C. Semantic fluency in primary school-age children with vision impairment. Int J Speech Lang Pathol 2024; 26:257-266. [PMID: 37337670 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2023.2214711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Semantic fluency is potentially a useful tool for vocabulary assessment in children with vision impairment because it contains no visual test stimuli. It is not known whether in the primary school years children with vision impairment perform more poorly on semantic fluency tasks compared to their sighted peers. METHOD We compared semantic fluency performance of two groups of 5- to 11-year-old British English speaking children-one group with vision impairment and one without. We also investigated within-group differences in performance, based on severity of vision impairment. We administered one category (animals) to children with vision impairment (n = 45) and sighted children (n = 30). Participants had one minute to respond. Responses were coded for accuracy, error type, clusters, and switches. RESULT Correct responses increased with age within each group. Groups did not differ significantly on any outcome measure. Severity of vision impairment did not impact task performance. CONCLUSION Results suggested that semantic fluency performance-at least for the category animals-is not different in children with vision impairment compared to sighted children. Findings also suggest that semantic fluency could be a suitable addition to the tools that speech-language pathologists use to assess language abilities in children with vision impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hayton
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, London, UK
| | | | - Helen Girvan
- IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, London, UK
| | - Chloe Marshall
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, London, UK
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Podda J, Pedullà L, Brichetto G, Tacchino A. Evaluating Cognitive-Motor Interference in Multiple Sclerosis: A Technology-Based Approach. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:277. [PMID: 38534551 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11030277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) frequently present both cognitive and motor impairments, so it is reasonable to assume they may have difficulties in executing dual-tasks (DT). The aim of the present study is to identify novel technology-based parameters to assess cognitive-motor interference (CMI) in PwMS. In particular, we focused on the definition of dual-task cost (DTC) measures using wearable and portable tools such as insoles and mobile apps. METHODS All participants underwent a verbal fluency task (cognitive single-task, ST), a motor ST of walking, and a combination of these tasks (DT). Number of words uttered in the cognitive ST and steps recorded by insoles were used to calculate the motor and cognitive DTC. RESULTS The number of steps strongly correlated with the walked meters for both single- (r = 0.88, p < 0.05) and dual- (r = 0.91, p < 0.05) tasks. Motor but not cognitive performances significantly worsened during DT. Over the cognitive ST and DT, the number of pronounced words progressively decreased, probably due to the activation of different cognitive processes. Cognitive efforts could be the cause of cognitive task prioritization. CONCLUSIONS Our findings promote the use of low-cost devices to assess CMI easily in the clinical context and to detect ecologically valid DT impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Podda
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 16149 Genoa, Italy
| | - Ludovico Pedullà
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 16149 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Brichetto
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 16149 Genoa, Italy
- AISM Rehabilitation Service of Genoa, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society, 16149 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Tacchino
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 16149 Genoa, Italy
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Kania K, Pawlak MA, Forycka M, Wiłkość-Dębczyńska M, Michalak S, Łukaszewska A, Wyciszkiewicz A, Wypych A, Serafin Z, Marcinkowska J, Kozubski W, Kalinowska-Łyszczarz A. Predicting clinical progression and cognitive decline in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a 6-year follow-up study. Neurol Neurochir Pol 2024:VM/OJS/J/97714. [PMID: 38324117 DOI: 10.5603/pjnns.97714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive impairment occurs from the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) and progresses over time. The introduction of disease modifying therapies (DMTs) has changed the prognosis for MS patients, offering a potential opportunity for improvement in the cognitive arena as well. MATERIAL AND METHODS 41 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) were recruited to the study. Thirty patients were available for final follow-up and were included in the analysis. Baseline (BL) brain MRI including volumetry and neuropsychological tests were performed. Blood samples were collected at BL and follow-up (FU) and were tested for: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM1), soluble platelet-endothelial CAM-1 (sPECAM1), and soluble intercellular CAM-1 (sICAM-1). Patients were invited for a final neuropsychological follow-up after a median of 6 years. Disease activity (relapses, EDSS increase, new/active brain lesions on MRI) was analysed between BL and FU. RESULTS The study group deteriorated in the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test (p = 0.001), but improved significantly in three other tests, i.e. semantic fluency test (p = 0.013), California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT, p = 0.016), and Word Comprehension Test (WCT, p < 0.001). EDSS increase correlated negatively with semantic fluency and WCT scores (r = -0.579, p = 0.001 and r = -0.391, p = 0.033, respectively). Improvements in semantic fluency test and WCT correlated positively with baseline deep grey matter, grey matter, and cortical volumes (p < 0.05, r > 0). Higher EDSS on FU correlated significantly negatively with baseline left and right pallidum, right caudate, right putamen, right accumbens, and cortical volume (p < 0.05, r < 0). No significant relationship was found between the number of relapses and EDSS on FU or neuropsychological deteriorations. Improvements in WCT and CVLT correlated positively with baseline sPECAM1 and sVCAM1 results, respectively (r > 0, p < 0.05). Deterioration in ROCF test correlated significantly with higher levels of baseline VEGF and sVCAM1 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Brain volume is an important predictor of future EDSS and cognitive functions outcome. MS patients have a potential for improving in neuropsychological tests over time. It remains to be established whether this is related to successful disease modification with immunotherapy. Baseline volumetric measures are stronger predictors of cognitive performance than relapse activity, which yet again highlights the importance of atrophy in MS prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Kania
- Department of Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Mikołaj A Pawlak
- Department of Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Maria Forycka
- Chair of Palliative Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland
| | - Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska
- Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Sławomir Michalak
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurochemistry and Neuropathology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Aleksandra Wyciszkiewicz
- Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropathology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Wypych
- Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Serafin
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Justyna Marcinkowska
- Department of Computer Science and Statistics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kozubski
- Department of Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Alicja Kalinowska-Łyszczarz
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurochemistry and Neuropathology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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Johnson R, Bhandary P R, Guddatu V, Kamath C, John S. Comparison of verbal fluency performance in Kannada-speaking adults with and without euthymic bipolar disorder type 1. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 2023:1-11. [PMID: 38117696 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2023.2289550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) type I exhibit deficits in executive functions. Although less explored in the BD population, the tasks of verbal fluency (VF) have shown great potential in understanding semantic organization. This study provides an extensive exploration across the letter and semantic VF tasks in 27 demographically matched euthymic BD-I and healthy controls (HC). The groups were compared on measures of the total number of correct words (TNCW), temporal pattern analysis, number of clusters (NC), mean cluster size (MCS), number of switches (NS), and error pattern. An overall reduction in letter fluency scores (the TNCW, number of switches, and NC) as compared to semantic fluency scores was noted for both groups, with a significantly greater decrease in the BD-1 group. The MCS and temporal pattern were relatively similar across the two groups. The influence of education with no gender difference was observed between groups with error types prevalent in both groups. The study findings call attention toward assessing the VF performance in persons with BD in terms of error production and the strategies employed (clustering-switching).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Johnson
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | | | - Vasudeva Guddatu
- Department of Data Science, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Chinmayi Kamath
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Sunila John
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
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Pitteri M, Vannucci M, Dapor C, Guandalini M, Daffinà A, Marastoni D, Calabrese M. Prominent role of executive functioning on the Phonemic Fluency Test in people with multiple sclerosis. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:902-906. [PMID: 36781412 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723000139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Executive functioning (EF) can be one of the earliest, despite under-detected, impaired cognitive domains in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, it is still not clear the role of EF on verbal fluency tests given the presence of information processing speed (IPS) deficits in pwMS. METHOD Performance of a group of 43 pwMS without IPS impairment as measured with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and a group of 32 healthy controls (HC) was compared on the Phonemic and Semantic Fluency Tests. For each group, we scored the number of words generated (i) in the early time interval (i.e., first 15 sec, semi-automatic process) and (ii) in the late time interval (i.e., from 15 to 60 sec, controlled process). RESULTS Globally, pwMS produced significantly fewer words than HC on the Phonemic but not on the Semantic Fluency Test. Crucially, in the Phonemic Fluency Test pwMS generated significantly fewer words than HC in the late time interval, whereas no significant difference between the two groups emerged in the early time interval. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that executive dysfunction is the core element on the Phonemic Fluency Test also in pwMS and it deserves attention in both research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pitteri
- Department of Neuropsychology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Manila Vannucci
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Caterina Dapor
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Maddalena Guandalini
- Neurology section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Angelica Daffinà
- Psychology Area, Salesian University Institution of Venice and Verona (IUSVE), Venice-Mestre, Italy
| | - Damiano Marastoni
- Neurology section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Calabrese
- Neurology section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Marko M, Michalko D, Dragašek J, Vančová Z, Jarčušková D, Riečanský I. Assessment of Automatic and Controlled Retrieval Using Verbal Fluency Tasks. Assessment 2023; 30:2198-2211. [PMID: 35979927 PMCID: PMC10478347 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221117512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Category and letter verbal fluency assessment is widely used in basic and clinical research. Yet, the nature of the processes measured by such means remains a matter of debate. To delineate automatic (free-associative) versus controlled (dissociative) retrieval processes involved in verbal fluency tasks, we carried out a psychometric study combining a novel lexical-semantic retrieval paradigm and structural equation modeling. We show that category fluency primarily engages a free-associative retrieval, whereas letter fluency exerts executive suppression of habitual semantic associates. Importantly, the models demonstrated that this dissociation is parametric rather than absolute, exhibiting a degree of unity as well as diversity among the retrieval measures. These findings and further exploratory analyses validate that category and letter fluency tasks reflect partially distinct forms of memory search and retrieval control, warranting different application in basic research and clinical assessment. Finally, we conclude that the novel associative-dissociative paradigm provides straightforward and useful behavioral measures for the assessment and differentiation of automatic versus controlled retrieval ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Marko
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Drahomír Michalko
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | | | | | - Igor Riečanský
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- University of Vienna, Austria
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Slovakia
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Gordon JK, Chen H. How well does the discrepancy between semantic and letter verbal fluency performance distinguish Alzheimer's dementia from typical aging? Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn 2023; 30:729-758. [PMID: 35612362 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2022.2079602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's dementia (AD), greater declines in semantic fluency (SF) relative to letter fluency (LF) have been assumed to reflect semantic disintegration. However, the same pattern is observed in typical aging and neurodegenerative disorders besides AD. We examined this assumption by comparing different aspects of SF and LF performance in older adults with and without dementia, and identifying which verbal fluency measures most clearly distinguish AD from typical aging. Verbal fluency data were compared from 109 individuals with AD and 66 typically aging adults. Correct items, clusters, and errors were analyzed using both raw counts and proportions. Regression analyses examined Task-by-Group interactions and the impact of demographic variables on verbal fluency measures. ROC analyses examined the sensitivity and specificity of the different outcome measures. In regressions, interactions were found for raw but not proportional data, indicating that different group patterns were driven largely by the number of correct items produced. Similarly, in ROC analyses, raw SF totals showed stronger discriminability between groups than either raw discrepancy scores (SF-LF) or discrepancy ratios (SF/LF). Age and cognitive status (MMSE) were the strongest individual predictors of performance. Findings suggest that AD entails quantitative declines in verbal fluency, but qualitatively similar patterns of performance relative to typically aging adults. Thus, SF declines in AD seem to be at least partially attributable to an exaggeration of the underlying mechanisms common to typical aging, and do not necessarily implicate semantic disintegration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean K Gordon
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Haoxuan Chen
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Álvarez Medina MN, Vergara Moragues E, Arango-Lasprilla JC, Restrepo Botero JC, Calderón Chagualá JA, Rivera D, Olabarrieta-Landa L. Phonological and semantic verbal fluency test: Scoring criteria and normative data for clustering and switching strategies for Colombian children and adolescents. Int J Lang Commun Disord 2023; 58:1630-1644. [PMID: 37140195 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency tests (VFT) are highly sensitive to cognitive deficits. Usually, the score on VFT is based on the number of correct words produced, yet it alone gives little information regarding underlying test performance. The implementation of different strategies (cluster and switching) to perform efficiently during the tasks provide more valuable information. However, normative data for clustering and switching strategies are scarce. Moreover, scoring criteria adapted to Colombian Spanish are missing. AIMS (1) To describe the Colombian adaptation of the scoring system guidelines for clustering and switching strategies in VFT; (2) to determine its reliability; and (3) to provide normative data for Colombian children and adolescents aged 6-17 years. METHODS & PROCEDURES A total of 691 children and adolescents from Colombia completed phonological (/f/, /a/, /s/, /m/, /r/ and /p/) and semantic (animals and fruits) VFT, and five scores were calculated: total score (TS), number of clusters (NC), cluster size (CS), mean cluster size (MCS) and number of switches (NS). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used for interrater reliability. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to investigate which strategies were associated with VFT TS. Multiple regressions were conducted for each strategy, including as predictors age, age2 , sex, mean parents' education (MPE), MPE2 and type of school, to generate normative data. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Reliability indexes were excellent. Age was associated with VFT TS, but weakly compared with strategies. For both VFT TS, NS was the strongest variable, followed by CS and NC. Regarding norms, age was the strongest predictor for all measures, while age2 was relevant for NC (/f/ phoneme) and NS (/m/ phoneme). Participants with higher MPE obtained more NC, and NS, and larger CS in several phonemes and categories. Children and adolescents from private school generated more NC, NS and larger CS in /s/ phoneme. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS This study provides new scoring guidelines and normative data for clustering and switching strategies for Colombian children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years old. Clinical neuropsychologists should include these measures as part of their everyday practice. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject VFT are widely used within the paediatric population due to its sensitivity to brain injury. Its score is based on the number of correct words produced; however, TS alone gives little information regarding underlying test performance. Several normative data for VFT TS in the paediatric population exist, but normative data for clustering and switching strategies are scarce. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The present study is the first to describe the Colombian adaptation of the scoring guidelines for clustering and switching strategies, and provided normative data for these strategies for children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years old. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Knowing VFT's performance, including strategy development and use in healthy children and adolescents, may be useful for clinical settings. We encourage clinicians to include not only TS, but also a careful analysis of strategies that may be more informative of the underlying cognitive processes failure than TS.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Nazaret Álvarez Medina
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología en Ciencias del Comportamiento, Universidad, Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esperanza Vergara Moragues
- Department of Psychology, University of Cadiz (UCA), Cadiz, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cadiz, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Diego Rivera
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
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Li Y, Yang J, Evans K, Wong JBW, Dissanayaka NN, Vogel AP. Optimising verbal fluency analysis in neurological patients with dysarthria: examples from Parkinson's disease and hereditary ataxia. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023; 45:452-463. [PMID: 37656122 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2249172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency tests (VFTs) are widely used to assess cognitive-linguistic performance in neurological diseases. However, the influence of dysarthria on performance in tests requiring oral responses is unclear in ataxia and Parkinson's disease. OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of dysarthria on VFT performance and evaluate the validity and reliability of alternative methods for analyzing VFT data. METHOD Trained raters evaluated dysarthria using VFT recordings in people with ataxia (N = 61) or Parkinson's disease (PD; N = 69). Total Correct Items scores and qualitative parameters (intrusions, ambiguous verbalizations, perseverations, and interjections) were compared across semantic, phonemic, and alternating fluency tasks. Disease severity was considered as a covariate in the regression model. RESULTS VFT dysarthria ratings correlated with the benchmark (ground truth) dysarthria scores derived from a monologue. Ambiguous responses resulting from unclear speech impeded the rater's ability to determine if a response was correct. Regression analysis indicated that more severe dysarthria ratings predicted diminished scores in all three tasks (semantic fluency, phonemic fluency and alternating fluency) in the ataxia group. The contribution of disease severity to semantic, phonemic and alternating fluency was reduced substantially in the ataxia group after accounting for dysarthria severity in the model in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Dysarthria severity can be estimated based on speech samples derived from VFT. Dysarthria can lead to lower total correct items and is associated with more ambiguous verbalizations in VFT. Dysarthria severity should be considered when interpreting VFT performance in common movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Li
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Redenlab, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jihyun Yang
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Herston QLD, Australia
| | - Kristine Evans
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Nadeeka N Dissanayaka
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Herston QLD, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston QLD, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Adam P Vogel
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Redenlab, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany & Center for Neurology, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany
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Sharma V, Malek-Ahmadi M. Meta-Analysis of Animal Fluency Performance in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2023; 37:259-264. [PMID: 37561948 PMCID: PMC10529905 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Animal fluency is a commonly used neuropsychological measure that is used in the diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer disease. Although most individuals with aMCI have clinically normal scores on this test, several studies have shown that aMCI individuals' performance is significantly lower than that of cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. The aim of this meta-analysis was to characterize the effect size of animal fluency performance differences between aMCI and CU individuals. Literature search with search terms used were: "animal fluency and mild cognitive impairment," "semantic fluency and mild cognitive impairment," "category fluency and mild cognitive impairment." Both the standardized mean difference and the raw mean difference were derived from random effects analyses. Demographically adjusted z-scores for animal fluency performance for the aMCI groups were obtained to determine normative performance. Nineteen studies were included in the analysis. The standardized mean difference for animal fluency performance between CU and aMCI was 0.89 (95% confidence interval: [0.73; 1.04], P <0.001), I2 =70.3% [52.7%; 81.4%], which reflects a large effect size with moderate heterogeneity. The raw mean difference was -4.08 [-4.75; -3.38], P <0.001. The mean animal fluency z-score for aMCI groups was in the Low Average range (z=-0.77). This study found a substantial difference in animal fluency performance between aMCI and CU individuals. The aMCI groups' normative performance did not fall into the impaired range, indicating that there are important subclinical differences in animal fluency performance that may inform the design of cognitive end points for Alzheimer's disease prevention trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Sharma
- Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, AZ
| | - Michael Malek-Ahmadi
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Phoenix, AZ
- University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Dept. of Biomedical Informatics, Phoenix, AZ
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12
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Xiang C, Ai W, Zhang Y. Language dysfunction correlates with cognitive impairments in older adults without dementia mediated by amyloid pathology. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1051382. [PMID: 37265466 PMCID: PMC10230042 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1051382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have explored the application of non-invasive biomarkers of language dysfunction for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, language dysfunction over time may be quite heterogeneous within different diagnostic groups. Method Patient demographics and clinical data were retrieved from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database for the participants without dementia who had measures of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and language dysfunction. We analyzed the effect of longitudinal neuropathological and clinical correlates in the pathological process of semantic fluency and confrontation naming. The mediation effects of AD biomarkers were also explored by the mediation analysis. Result There were 272 subjects without dementia included in this analysis. Higher rates of decline in semantic fluency and confrontation naming were associated with a higher risk of progression to MCI or AD, and a greater decline in cognitive abilities. Moreover, the rate of change in semantic fluency was significantly associated with Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming was significantly associated with both amyloidosis and tau burden. Mediation analyses revealed that both confrontation naming and semantic fluency were partially mediated by the Aβ aggregation. Conclusion In conclusion, the changes in language dysfunction may partly stem from the Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming can also partly originate from the increase in tau burden. Therefore, this study sheds light on how language dysfunction is partly constitutive of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and therefore is an important clinical predictor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunchen Xiang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Weiping Ai
- Department of Neurology, Zhangjiakou First Hospital, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Yumei Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Center of Stroke, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine for Cerebrovascular Disease, Beijing, China
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
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Rodriguez-Espinosa N, Moro Miguel A, Rodriguez-Perez MDC, Almeida-Gonzalez D, Cabrera de Leon A. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and waist-to-hip ratio in middle-aged postmenopausal women are the main factors associated with semantic verbal fluency 12 years later. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1106629. [PMID: 37255942 PMCID: PMC10226530 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1106629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Few studies have analized the effect of vascular risk factors and lifestyle habits affecting the middle age of postmenopausal women on later cognitive performance in old age. We have carried out an observational study to identify those factors and whether they differ from those acting in men. Postmenopausal women and males, both aged 40-60 years old at recruitment, from a community dwelling cohort were included. Data for this study were collected from the first visit at recruitment (2001 to 2005). Participants were interviewed with a questionnaire on their health-related antecedents and underwent a physical exam. The cohort was contacted again for a new presential visit between 2014 and 2015. A semantic verbal fluency test was included in this new visit protocol as a brief measure of cognition. Besides educational attainment, Mediterranean diet adherence 20th percentile (OR = 1.93; 95%CI = 1.07-3.47) and waist to hip ratio 80th percentile (OR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.10-2,98) were the main factors associated to low semantic fluency performance in postmenopausal women, while declared diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.24; 95%CI = 1.16-4,33), HOMA 2 insulin resistance index (OR = 1.77; 95%CI =1.04-3,02), light physical activity in leisure time (OR = 0.41; 95%CI = 0.19-0,93) and recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity (OR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.23-3.56) did in men. Factors in middle age that explain semantic verbal fluency in old age are different between postmenopausal women and men. Menopause related fat redistribution may be a precondition for other vascular risk factors. The effect of Mediterranean diet on cognition deserves new specific studies centered on postmenopausal women as group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto Rodriguez-Espinosa
- Unidad de Neurología de la Memoria, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Adoración Moro Miguel
- Unidad de Neurología de la Memoria, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Maria del Cristo Rodriguez-Perez
- Unidad de Investigación de Atención Primaria, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Delia Almeida-Gonzalez
- Sección de Inmunología, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Antonio Cabrera de Leon
- Unidad de Investigación de Atención Primaria, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Area de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Skrbic R, Bugarski-Ignjatovic V, Komazec Z, Veselinovic M. Verbal, Figural, and Arithmetic Fluency of Children with Cochlear Implants. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13050349. [PMID: 37232588 DOI: 10.3390/bs13050349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implantation gives children with prelingual severe hearing loss and deafness the opportunity to develop their hearing abilities, speech, language, cognitive abilities and academic skills with adequate rehabilitation. The aim of the research was to analyze verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency and their interrelationship in children with a cochlear implant (CI) and children with normal hearing (NH). A total of 46 children with CI and 110 children with NH, aged 9 to 16, participated in the research. Verbal fluency was assessed using phonemic and semantic fluency, and non-verbal fluency using figural fluency. Arithmetic fluency was assessed using simple arithmetic tasks within the number range up to 100. The results showed that children with CI achieved poorer results in phonemic fluency (z = -4.92; p < 0.001), semantic fluency (z = -3.89; p < 0.001), figural fluency (z = -3.07; p = 0.002), and arithmetic fluency (z = -4.27; p < 0.001). In both groups, a positive correlation was obtained between the measured modalities and types of fluency. In the group of children with CI, a sex difference was obtained on the phonemic fluency test, in favor of girls. The age of children with CI was correlated with arithmetic fluency. Verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency of children with CI speak in favor of the importance of early auditory and language experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Skrbic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Vojislava Bugarski-Ignjatovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Clinic for Neurology, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Zoran Komazec
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Mila Veselinovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21 137 Novi Sad, Serbia
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Abstract
Women are thought to fare better in verbal abilities, especially in verbal-fluency and verbal-memory tasks. However, the last meta-analysis on sex/gender differences in verbal fluency dates from 1988. Although verbal memory has only recently been investigated meta-analytically, a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking that focuses on verbal memory as it is typically assessed, for example, in neuropsychological settings. On the basis of 496 effect sizes and 355,173 participants, in the current meta-analysis, we found that women/girls outperformed men/boys in phonemic fluency (ds = 0.12-0.13) but not in semantic fluency (ds = 0.01-0.02), for which the sex/gender difference appeared to be category-dependent. Women/girls also outperformed men/boys in recall (d = 0.28) and recognition (ds = 0.12-0.17). Although effect sizes are small, the female advantage was relatively stable over the past 50 years and across lifetime. Published articles reported stronger female advantages than unpublished studies, and first authors reported better performance for members of their own sex/gender. We conclude that a small female advantage in phonemic fluency, recall, and recognition exists and is partly subject to publication bias. Considerable variance suggests further contributing factors, such as participants' language and country/region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
| | - Josephine Stuebs
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
- Department of Neuropsychology and
Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University
- Institute of Clinical Medicine,
University of Oslo
| | - Angelica Moè
- Department of General Psychology,
University of Padua
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16
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Olmos-Villaseñor R, Sepulveda-Silva C, Julio-Ramos T, Fuentes-Lopez E, Toloza-Ramirez D, Santibañez RA, Copland DA, Mendez-Orellana C. Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:1-12. [PMID: 37482994 PMCID: PMC10578227 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semantic and Phonological fluency (SF and PF) are routinely evaluated in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are disagreements in the literature regarding which fluency task is more affected while developing AD. Most studies focus on SF assessment, given its connection with the temporoparietal amnesic system. PF is less reported, it is related to working memory, which is also impaired in probable and diagnosed AD. Differentiating between performance on these tasks might be informative in early AD diagnosis, providing an accurate linguistic profile. OBJECTIVE Compare SF and PF performance in healthy volunteers, volunteers with probable AD, and patients with AD diagnosis, considering the heterogeneity of age, gender, and educational level variables. METHODS A total of 8 studies were included for meta-analysis, reaching a sample size of 1,270 individuals (568 patients diagnosed with AD, 340 with probable AD diagnosis, and 362 healthy volunteers). RESULTS The three groups consistently performed better on SF than PF. When progressing to a diagnosis of AD, we observed a significant difference in SF and PF performance across our 3 groups of interest (p = 0.04). The age variable explained a proportion of this difference in task performance across the groups, and as age increases, both tasks equally worsen. CONCLUSION The performance of SF and PF might play a differential role in early AD diagnosis. These tasks rely on partially different neural bases of language processing. They are thus worth exploring independently in diagnosing normal aging and its transition to pathological stages, including probable and diagnosed AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Olmos-Villaseñor
- Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Language Rehabilitation and Stimulation (LARES), Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Consuelo Sepulveda-Silva
- Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Language Rehabilitation and Stimulation (LARES), Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Teresa Julio-Ramos
- Laboratory of Language Rehabilitation and Stimulation (LARES), Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Fuentes-Lopez
- Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Toloza-Ramirez
- Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, School of Speech Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A. Santibañez
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Neurology Service, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile
| | - David A. Copland
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Carolina Mendez-Orellana
- Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Language Rehabilitation and Stimulation (LARES), Speech and Language Therapy School, Health Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Chami S, Charalambous C, Knijnik SR, Docking K. Language and executive function skills as predictors of semantic fluency performance in pre-school children. Int J Speech Lang Pathol 2022; 24:626-635. [PMID: 34866507 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2021.2008005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To explore how language and executive function skills of pre-school-aged children contribute to semantic fluency (a form of verbal fluency) performance. This study investigated effect of age and contribution of vocabulary and executive function on qualitative aspects of the semantic fluency task.Method: Forty typically developing Australian-English-speaking pre-school children, aged 4;0-5;11 (mean age = 55.5 months, SD = 5.21) participated. Eight assessment tasks were presented in random order examining semantic fluency, vocabulary knowledge and executive function. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses determined the extent to which measures of executive function and vocabulary accounted for fluency (number of words correctly produced) and qualitative aspects of the semantic fluency task (number of clusters, number of clustered words, number of switches).Result: While executive function and vocabulary were positively correlated with fluency and all qualitative measures of semantic fluency performance, they were not significant predictors of any aspect of task performance. Age and vocabulary were the only significant predictors of fluency, number of words clustered, and number of switches. Performance on these tasks was strongly related to vocabulary and automated retrieval processes.Conclusion: Pre-school children do not predominantly rely on executive function during semantic fluency. The influence that vocabulary has on semantic fluency task performance outweighs that accounted for by age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Chami
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Charalambous
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Macarthur Children's Developmental Clinic, StarKids Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stefani R Knijnik
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kimberley Docking
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Sinha V, Lissemore F, Lerner AJ. Graph Theory Analysis of Semantic Fluency in Russian-English Bilinguals. Cogn Behav Neurol 2022; 35:179-187. [PMID: 35930418 PMCID: PMC10154949 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semantic category fluency is a widely used task involving language, memory, and executive function. Previous studies of bilingual semantic fluency have shown only small differences between languages. Graph theory analyzes complex relationships in networks, including node and edge number, clustering coefficient, average path length, average number of direct neighbors, and scale-free and small-world properties. OBJECTIVE To shed light on whether the underlying neural processes involved in semantic category fluency testing yield substantially different networks in different languages. METHOD We compared languages and methods using both network analysis and conventional analysis of word production. We administered the animal naming task to 51 Russian-English bilinguals in each language. We constructed network graphs using three methods: (a) simple association of unique co-occurring neighbors, (b) corrected associations between consecutive words occurring beyond chance, and (c) a network community approach using planar maximally filtered graphs. We compared the resultant network analytics as well as their scale-free and small-world properties. RESULTS Participants produced more words in Russian than in English. Small-worldness metrics were variable between Russian and English but were consistent across the three graph theory analytical methods. CONCLUSION The networks had similar graph theory properties in both languages. The optimal methodology for creating networks from semantic category fluency remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidushi Sinha
- University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Frances Lissemore
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Alan J. Lerner
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
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Bose A, Patra A, Antoniou GE, Stickland RC, Belke E. Verbal fluency difficulties in aphasia: A combination of lexical and executive control deficits. Int J Lang Commun Disord 2022; 57:593-614. [PMID: 35318784 PMCID: PMC9314833 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency tasks are routinely used in clinical assessment and research studies of aphasia. People with aphasia produce fewer items in verbal fluency tasks. It remains unclear if their output is limited solely by their lexical difficulties and/or has a basis in their executive control abilities. Recent research has illustrated that detailed characterization of verbal fluency performance using temporal characteristics of words retrieved, clustering and switching, and pause durations, along with separate measures of executive control stands to inform our understanding of the lexical and cognitive underpinnings of verbal fluency in aphasia. AIMS To determine the locus of the verbal fluency difficulties in aphasia, we compared semantic and letter fluency trials between people with aphasia and healthy control participants using a wide range of variables to capture the performance between the two groups. The groups were also tested on separate measures of executive control to determine the relationship amongst these tasks and fluency performance. METHODS & PROCEDURES Semantic (animal) and letter (F, A, S) fluency data for 60s trials were collected from 14 people with aphasia (PWA) and 24 healthy adult controls (HC). Variables, such as number of correct responses, clustering and switching analyses, were performed along with temporal measures of the retrieved words (response latencies) and pause durations. Participants performed executive control tasks to measure inhibitory control, mental-set shifting and memory span. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Compared with HC, PWA produced fewer correct responses, showed greater difficulty with the letter fluency condition, were slower in getting started with the trials, showed slower retrieval times as noted in within- and between-cluster pause durations, and switched less often. Despite these retrieval difficulties, PWA showed a similar decline in the rate of recall to HC, and had similar cluster size. Executive control measures correlated primarily with the letter fluency variables: mostly for PWA and in one instance for HC. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Poorer performance for PWA is a combination of difficulties in both the lexical and executive components of the verbal fluency task. Our findings highlight the importance of detailed characterization of fluency performance in deciphering the underlying mechanism of retrieval difficulties in aphasia, and illustrate the importance of using letter fluency trials to tap into executive control processes. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject PWA typically show impaired performance in verbal fluency tasks. It is debated whether this impaired performance is a result of their lexical difficulties or executive control difficulties, or a combination of both. This debate continues because previous studies have mostly used semantic fluency condition without including letter fluency condition; used a limited range of variables (e.g., number of correct responses); and not included separate executive control measures to explain the performance pattern in aphasia. This research addresses these outstanding issues to determine the specific contribution of lexical and executive control processes in verbal fluency in aphasia by including: both semantic and letter fluency conditions; a wide range of variables to identify the relative contribution of lexical and executive control mechanisms; and independent measures of executive control. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Using the multidimensional analysis approach for verbal fluency performance from both semantic and letter fluency conditions, this is the first study to systematically demonstrate that PWA had difficulties in both lexical and executive control components of the task. At the individual level, PWA had greater difficulty on the letter fluency condition compared with semantic fluency. We observed significant correlations between the executive control measures and verbal fluency measures primarily for the letter fluency condition. This research makes a significant contribution to our understanding of lexical and executive control aspects in word production in aphasia. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? From a clinical perspective, this research highlights the importance of using a full range of verbal fluency and executive control measures to tap into the lexical as well as executive control abilities of PWA, and also the utility of using letter fluency to tap into the executive control processes in PWA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Bose
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | - Abhijeet Patra
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
- Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
| | | | - Rachael C. Stickland
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
- Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonILUSA
| | - Eva Belke
- Ruhr‐Universität BochumBochumGermany
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20
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Saranpää AM, Kivisaari SL, Salmelin R, Krumm S. Moving in Semantic Space in Prodromal and Very Early Alzheimer's Disease: An Item-Level Characterization of the Semantic Fluency Task. Front Psychol 2022; 13:777656. [PMID: 35265001 PMCID: PMC8899331 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.777656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The semantic fluency task is a widely used clinical tool in the diagnostic process of Alzheimer's disease. The task requires efficient mapping of the semantic space to produce as many items as possible within a semantic category. We examined whether healthy volunteers (n = 42) and patients with early Alzheimer's disease (24 diagnosed with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and 18 with early Alzheimer's dementia) take advantage of and travel in the semantic space differently. With focus on the animal fluency task, we sought to emulate the detailed structure of the multidimensional semantic space by utilizing word2vec-method from the natural language processing domain. To render the resulting multidimensional semantic space visually comprehensible, we applied a dimensionality reduction algorithm (t-SNE), which enabled a straightforward division of the semantic space into sub-categories. Moving in semantic space was quantified with the number of items created, sub-categories visited, and switches and returns to these sub-categories. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to predict the diagnostic group with these independent variables. We found that returning to a sub-category provided additional information, besides the number of words produced in the task, to differentiate patients with Alzheimer's dementia from both amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment patients and healthy controls. The results suggest that the frequency of returning to a sub-category may serve as an additional aid for clinicians in diagnosing early Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, our results imply that the combination of word2vec and subsequent t-SNE-visualization may offer a valuable tool for examining the semantic space and its sub-categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aino M Saranpää
- Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Sasa L Kivisaari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Riitta Salmelin
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Sabine Krumm
- University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Basel, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Carpenter E, Peñaloza C, Rao L, Kiran S. Clustering and Switching in Verbal Fluency Across Varying Degrees of Cognitive Control Demands: Evidence From Healthy Bilinguals and Bilingual Patients With Aphasia. Neurobiol Lang (Camb) 2021; 2:532-557. [PMID: 35243347 PMCID: PMC8884340 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Different linguistic contexts place varying amounts of cognitive control on lexical retrieval in bilingual speakers, an issue that is complicated in bilingual patients with aphasia (BPWA) due to subsequent language and cognitive deficits. Verbal fluency tasks may offer insight into the interaction between executive and language control in healthy bilinguals and BPWA, by examining conditions with varying cognitive control demands. The present study examined switching and clustering in verbal fluency tasks in BPWA and healthy bilinguals across single- and dual-language conditions. We also examined the influence of language processing and language proficiency on switching and clustering performance across the dual-language conditions. Thirty-five Spanish-English BPWA and twenty-two Spanish-English healthy bilinguals completed a language use questionnaire, tests of language processing, and two verbal fluency tasks. The semantic category generation task included four conditions: two single-language conditions (No-Switch L1 and No-Switch L2) that required word production in each language separately; one dual-language condition that allowed switching between languages as desired (Self-Switch); and one dual-language condition that required switching between languages after each response (Forced-Switch). The letter fluency task required word production in single-language contexts. Overall, healthy bilinguals outperformed BPWA across all measures. Results indicate that switching is more sensitive to increased control demands than clustering, with this effect being more pronounced in BPWA, underscoring the interaction between semantic executive processes and language control in this group. Additionally, for BPWA switching performance relies on a combination of language abilities and language experience metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Carpenter
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Peñaloza
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leela Rao
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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Riello M, Frangakis CE, Ficek B, Webster KT, Desmond JE, Faria AV, Hillis AE, Tsapkini K. Neural Correlates of Letter and Semantic Fluency in Primary Progressive Aphasia. Brain Sci 2021; 12:1. [PMID: 35053745 PMCID: PMC8773895 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Verbal fluency (VF) is an informative cognitive task. Lesion and functional imaging studies implicate distinct cerebral areas that support letter versus semantic fluency and the understanding of neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying task performance. Most lesion studies include chronic stroke patients. People with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) provide complementary evidence for lesion-deficit associations, as different brain areas are affected in stroke versus PPA. In the present study we sought to determine imaging, clinical and demographic correlates of VF in PPA. Thirty-five patients with PPA underwent an assessment with letter and category VF tasks, evaluation of clinical features and an MRI scan for volumetric analysis. We used stepwise regression models to determine which brain areas are associated with VF performance while acknowledging the independent contribution of clinical and demographic factors. Letter fluency was predominantly associated with language severity (R2 = 38%), and correlated with the volume of the left superior temporal regions (R2 = 12%) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal area (R2 = 5%). Semantic fluency was predominantly associated with dementia severity (R2 = 47%) and correlated with the volume of the left inferior temporal gyrus (R2 = 7%). No other variables were significantly associated with performance in the two VF tasks. We concluded that, independently of disease severity, letter fluency is significantly associated with the volume of frontal and temporal areas whereas semantic fluency is associated mainly with the volume of temporal areas. Furthermore, our findings indicated that clinical severity plays a critical role in explaining VF performance in PPA, compared to the other clinical and demographic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Riello
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
| | - Constantine E. Frangakis
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA;
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA
| | - Bronte Ficek
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
| | - Kimberly T. Webster
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA
| | - John E. Desmond
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
| | - Andreia V. Faria
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA;
| | - Argye E. Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kyrana Tsapkini
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.R.); (B.F.); (K.T.W.); (J.E.D.); (A.E.H.)
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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23
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Nicoladis E, Dueck BS, Zarezadehkheibari S. Hand preference in referential gestures: Relationships to accessing words for speaking in monolingual and bilingual children. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02121. [PMID: 34142467 PMCID: PMC8413777 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Infants' right-hand preference for pointing is associated with higher vocabulary. It is not clear whether the link between right-hand preference for gesturing and language persists into the preschool years. The primary purpose of the present study was to test whether preschool children's hand preference for referential gestures was associated with their language abilities. Secondarily, we predicted that the children's right-hand preference would be negatively associated with their visuospatial abilities. We also predicted that monolingual children would show a strong right-hand preference while bilinguals might show a reduced right-hand preference. METHODS Monolingual and bilingual children between the ages of four and six years did a storytelling task. Their referential gestures were coded for hand use (right, left, both). We measured language skills (receptive vocabulary, semantic fluency). RESULTS We found no difference between bilinguals and monolinguals on hand preference. Semantic fluency was a positive predictor and vocabulary a negative predictor of right-hand preference. Children's visuospatial abilities were not a predictor of right-hand preference. CONCLUSION These results suggest that right-hand preference may help children select semantically appropriate words out of their existing vocabulary. In other words, this preference may be related to children's construction of the message that they would like to produce. The association between hand preference and language skills persists into the preschool years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Nicoladis
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Bryce S Dueck
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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24
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Vonk JMJ, Bouteloup V, Mangin J, Dubois B, Blanc F, Gabelle A, Ceccaldi M, Annweiler C, Krolak‐Salmon P, Belin C, Rivasseau‐Jonveaux T, Julian A, Sellal F, Magnin E, Chupin M, Habert M, Chêne G, Dufouil C. Semantic loss marks early Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration in older adults without dementia. Alzheimers Dement (Amst) 2020; 12:e12066. [PMID: 32775598 PMCID: PMC7403823 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess progression of semantic loss in early stages of cognitive decline using semantic and letter fluency performance, and its relation with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-specific neurodegeneration using longitudinal multimodal neuroimaging measures. METHODS Change in verbal fluency was analyzed among 2261 non-demented individuals with a follow-up diagnosis of no mild cognitive impairment (MCI), amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), or incident dementia, using linear mixed models across 4 years of follow-up, and relations with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; n = 1536) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose brain positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) imaging (n = 756) using linear regression models across 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS Semantic fluency declined-fastest in those at higher risk for AD (apolipoprotein E [APOE] e4 carriers, Clinical Dementia Rating score of .5, aMCI, or incident dementia)-while letter fluency did not except for those with incident dementia. Lower baseline semantic fluency was associated with an increase in white matter hyperintensities and total mean cortical thinning over time, and regionally with less hippocampal volume as well as more cortical thinning and reduced 18F-FDG-PET uptake in the inferior parietal lobule, entorhinal cortex, isthmus cingulate, and precuneus-posterior cingulate area. In contrast, baseline letter fluency was not associated with change in total nor regional neurodegeneration. Whole-brain neurodegeneration over time was associated with faster decline in both fluencies, while AD-specific regions were associated with a faster rate of decline in semantic but not letter fluency. INTERPRETATION This study provides strong evidence of distinctive degeneration of semantic abilities early on in relation to both cognitive decline and AD-specific neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jet M. J. Vonk
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging BrainDepartment of NeurologyCollege of Physicians and SurgeonsColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Department of EpidemiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Vincent Bouteloup
- Centre Inserm U1219d'Epidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)Bordeaux School of Public HealthInstitut de Santé PubliqueUniversité de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
- Pole de sante publiqueCentre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Jean‐François Mangin
- CATI Multicenter Neuroimaging PlatformParisFrance
- NeurospinCEAParis Saclay UniversityGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Bruno Dubois
- IM2AAP‐HPINSERMUMR‐S975Groupe Hospitalier Pitié‐SalpêtrièreInstitut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d'AlzheimerInstitut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièreSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Frédéric Blanc
- Hôpitaux Universitaire de StrasbourgCM2R (Centre Mémoire de Ressource et de Recherche)Hôpital de jourpôle de Gériatrieet CNRSlaboratoire ICube UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), team IMISStrasbourgFrance
| | - Audrey Gabelle
- Centre Mémoire Ressources RechercheDépartement de NeurologieCHU Gui de ChauliacMontpellierFrance
- Inserm U1061La ColombièreUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Mathieu Ceccaldi
- CMMR PACA OuestCHU TimoneAPHM & Aix Marseille UnivINSERMINSInst Neurosci SystMarseilleFrance
| | - Cédric Annweiler
- Department of Geriatric MedicineAngers University HospitalAngersFrance
- Angers University Memory ClinicAngersFrance
- Research Center on Autonomy and LongevityAngersFrance
- UPRES EA 4638University of AngersAngersFrance
- Robarts Research InstituteDepartment of Medical BiophysicsSchulich School of Medicine and Dentistrythe University of Western Ontario, OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Pierre Krolak‐Salmon
- Institut du VieillissementCentre Mémoire Ressources Recherche de LyonHospices civils de LyonUniversité Lyon 1, Inserm U1048LyonFrance
| | | | - Thérèse Rivasseau‐Jonveaux
- Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche de Lorraine Unité Cognitivo Comportementale CHRU NancyLaboratoire Lorrain de Psychologie et de Neurosciences de la dynamique des comportements 2LPN EA 7489 Université de LorraineNancyFrance
| | - Adrien Julian
- Service de NeurologieCHU La MilétrieCentre Mémoire de Ressources et de RecherchePoitiersFrance
| | - François Sellal
- CMRR Département de NeurologieHôpitaux CivilsColmarFrance
- INSERM U‐1118Université de Strasbourg. Faculté de MédecineStrasbourgFrance
| | - Eloi Magnin
- Centre Mémoire Ressources et Recherche (CMRR)service de NeurologieCHRU BesançonBesançonFrance
- Neurosciences intégratives et cliniques EA481Univ. Bourgogne Franche‐ComtéBesançonFrance
| | - Marie Chupin
- CATI Multicenter Neuroimaging PlatformParisFrance
| | - Marie‐Odile Habert
- CATI Multicenter Neuroimaging PlatformParisFrance
- CNRSINSERMLaboratoire d'Imagerie BiomédicaleLIBSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- AP‐HPHôpital Pitié‐SalpêtrièreMédecine NucléaireParisFrance
| | - Geneviève Chêne
- Centre Inserm U1219d'Epidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)Bordeaux School of Public HealthInstitut de Santé PubliqueUniversité de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
- Pole de sante publiqueCentre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Carole Dufouil
- Centre Inserm U1219d'Epidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)Bordeaux School of Public HealthInstitut de Santé PubliqueUniversité de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
- Pole de sante publiqueCentre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
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25
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Carpenter E, Rao L, Peñaloza C, Kiran S. Verbal fluency as a measure of lexical access and cognitive control in bilingual persons with aphasia. Aphasiology 2020; 34:1341-1362. [PMID: 34366537 PMCID: PMC8341392 DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2020.1759774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lexical access in bilinguals can be influenced by the demands that different interactional contexts pose on cognitive control processes (Green & Abutalebi, 2013: Adaptive Control Hypothesis; Green, 1998: Inhibitory Control Model). However, how varying cognitive control demands impact lexical access in bilingual persons with aphasia (BPWA) remains unclear. Verbal fluency tasks may provide valuable insights into the interplay between cognitive control and lexical access in BPWA by addressing word generation abilities in language contexts that exert varying degrees of cognitive control effort. AIMS The present study aimed to examine the performance of BPWA on a semantic category generation task that required word retrieval in single and dual-language contexts under varying cognitive control demands and a traditional letter fluency task conducted in single-language contexts. We also examined the associations between verbal fluency performance and (i) bilingual language history, and (ii) performance on standardized language assessments in both BPWA and healthy bilinguals. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Thirteen Spanish-English BPWA and twenty-two Spanish-English healthy bilinguals completed a language use questionnaire, verbal fluency testing and standardized language assessments in each language. The semantic category generation task included four conditions: two conditions examined word retrieval in the first-acquired (L1) and second-acquired language (L2) in single language contexts (No Switch-L1 and No Switch-L2) and two conditions elicited word retrieval in dual-language contexts (Self-Switch and Forced-Switch) with low and high cognitive control demands by allowing or restricting switching across languages. The letter fluency task was administered in single language contexts only (F, A, S for English and P, M, R for Spanish). Verbal fluency performance was compared across conditions and groups using multivariate analyses. Further, correlational analyses were used to examine associations between verbal fluency tasks and bilingual language history, language assessments, and cognitive function. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Overall, the healthy bilinguals produced a higher proportion of accurate words in both verbal fluency tasks relative to the BPWA. Results indicate that BPWA were more sensitive to the effects of increased cognitive control on lexical access relative to healthy bilinguals. BPWA and healthy bilinguals' performance on both verbal fluency tasks was associated with metrics of bilingual language history and standardized language assessments. Additionally, for BPWA, L2 letter fluency performance was associated with cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that verbal fluency tasks can help characterize the impact of cognitive control on lexical access in BPWA in single and mixed language contexts with important clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Carpenter
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Leela Rao
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Claudia Peñaloza
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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26
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Krishnamurthy V, Krishnamurthy LC, Drucker JH, Kundu S, Ji B, Hortman K, Roberts SR, Mammino K, Tran SM, Gopinath K, McGregor KM, Rodriguez AD, Qiu D, Crosson B, Nocera JR. Correcting Task fMRI Signals for Variability in Baseline CBF Improves BOLD-Behavior Relationships: A Feasibility Study in an Aging Model. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:336. [PMID: 32425745 PMCID: PMC7205008 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) functional MRI is a complex neurovascular signal whose magnitude depends on baseline physiological factors such as cerebral blood flow (CBF). Because baseline CBF varies across the brain and is altered with aging, the interpretation of stand-alone aging-related BOLD changes can be misleading. The primary objective of this study was to develop a methodology that combines task fMRI and arterial spin labeling (ASL) techniques to sensitize task-induced BOLD activity by covarying out the baseline physiology (i.e., CBF) in an aging model. We recruited 11 younger and 13 older healthy participants who underwent ASL and an overt language fMRI task (semantic category member generation). We measured in-scanner language performance to investigate the effect of BOLD sensitization on BOLD-behavior relationships. The results demonstrate that our correction approach is effective at enhancing the specificity and sensitivity of the BOLD signal in both groups. In addition, the correction strengthens the statistical association between task BOLD activity and behavioral performance. Although CBF has inherent age dependence, our results show that retaining the age factor within CBF aides in greater sensitization of task fMRI signals. From a cognitive standpoint, compared to young adults, the older participants showed a delayed domain-general language-related task activity possibly due to compromised vessel compliance. Further, assessment of functional evolution of corrected BOLD activity revealed biphasic BOLD dynamics in both groups where BOLD deactivation may reflect greater semantic demand or increased premium on domain general executive functioning in response to task difficulty. Although it was promising to note that the predictability of behavior using the proposed methodology outperforms other methodologies (i.e., no correction and normalization by division), and provides moderate stability and adequate power, further work with a larger cohort and other task designs is necessary to improve the stability of predicting associated behavior. In summary, we recommend correction of task fMRI signals by covarying out baseline CBF especially when comparing groups with different neurovascular properties. Given that ASL and BOLD fMRI are well established and widely employed techniques, our proposed multi-modal methodology can be readily implemented into data processing pipelines to obtain more accurate BOLD activation maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatagiri Krishnamurthy
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Lisa C Krishnamurthy
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jonathan H Drucker
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Suprateek Kundu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Bing Ji
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States.,Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kyle Hortman
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Simone R Roberts
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States.,Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kevin Mammino
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Stella M Tran
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kaundinya Gopinath
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Keith M McGregor
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Amy D Rodriguez
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Deqiang Qiu
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Bruce Crosson
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States.,Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joe R Nocera
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Decatur, GA, United States.,Division of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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27
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Yang FN, Stanford M, Jiang X. Low Cholesterol Level Linked to Reduced Semantic Fluency Performance and Reduced Gray Matter Volume in the Medial Temporal Lobe. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:57. [PMID: 32300296 PMCID: PMC7142997 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia has been proposed as a risk factor of dementia and cognitive decline. However, the findings of the relationship between cholesterol level and cognitive/brain function have been inconsistent. Here, using a well-controlled sample from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), we investigated the probable non-linear relationship between plasma total cholesterol (TC) level, gray matter volume (GMv), and cognitive performance in 117 non-demented subjects (mean age, 61.5 ± 8.9 years), including 67 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 50 demographically matched controls. A quadratic relationship between semantic fluency (SF) performance and TC levels was identified. Within the subjects with a desirable TC level (TC < 200 mg/dl), low TC (lTC) levels were associated with reduced SF performance, as well as reduced GMv in three medial temporal regions [including bilateral anterior hippocampus (HIP)]. In contrast, no significant relationship between TC and cognition performance/GMv was found in individuals with a high cholesterol level (i.e., TC ≥ 200 mg/dl). Further region of interest (ROI)-based analysis showed that individuals with TC levels ranging from 100 to 160 mg/dl had the lowest GMv in the medial temporal regions. These findings suggest that low-normal TC level may be associated with reduced cognitive function and brain atrophy in regions implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, adding to a growing body of literature supporting a probable non-linear relationship between cholesterol level and brain health. However, this finding needs to be verified with other large public cohort data that do not include PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Nils Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Macdonell Stanford
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
- School of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Xiong Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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28
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Mengisidou M, Marshall CR, Stavrakaki S. Semantic fluency difficulties in developmental dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD): poor semantic structure of the lexicon or slower retrieval processes? Int J Lang Commun Disord 2020; 55:200-215. [PMID: 31697020 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with dyslexia and/or developmental language disorder (hereafter children with DDLD) have been reported to retrieve fewer words than their typically developing (TD) peers in semantic fluency tasks. It is not known whether this retrieval difficulty can be attributed to the semantic structure of their lexicon being poor or, alternatively, to words being retrieved more slowly despite semantic structure being intact. AIMS To test two theoretical models that could potentially account for retrieval difficulties in semantic fluency tasks, namely, the Poor Lexical-Semantic Structure Model and the Slow-Retrieval Model. Both models predict that children with DDLD will retrieve fewer items compared with TD children. However, while the Poor Lexical-Semantic Structure Model predicts a less sophisticated network of semantic connections between words in the lexicon, as evidenced by smaller clusters of related items in children with DDLD, the Slow-Retrieval Model predicts intact inter-item associations in the lexicon, as evidenced by the two groups' clusters being of a similar size. The groups' semantic fluency performance was therefore compared. How semantic fluency performance related to children's language, literacy, and phonological skills was also investigated. METHODS & PROCEDURES A total of 66 children with DDLD aged 7-12 years and 83 TD children aged 6-12 years, all monolingual Greek speakers, were tested on semantic fluency, using the categories 'animals', 'foods' and 'objects from around the house'. The numbers of correct and incorrect responses, clusters and switches, and the average cluster size were computed. Children were also assessed on non-verbal IQ, language, literacy and phonological tasks. OUTCOMES & RESULTS In both groups, productivity in semantic fluency tasks correlated strongly with the numbers of clusters and switches, but not with average cluster size. The DDLD group produced significantly fewer correct responses and fewer clusters compared with the TD group, but the two groups showed similar switching and average cluster size. Children's language, literacy and phonological skills significantly predicted the number of correct responses produced, beyond the significant effect of age. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS We conclude that poorer semantic fluency performance in children with DDLD results not from a lexicon with poor semantic structure, but rather from slower retrieval processes from a lexicon with intact semantic structure. The underlying causes of slow lexical retrieval still need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mengisidou
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chloë R Marshall
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stavroula Stavrakaki
- School of Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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29
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Garcia S, Hemmy LS, Kelly R, Fink HA. Periprocedural Changes in Cognitive Function After Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: Results From a Pilot Study Assessing Cognition in Elderly Veterans. J Invasive Cardiol 2020; 32:12-17. [PMID: 31724533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is paucity of data comparing periprocedural changes in cognitive function between surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS We enrolled patients with severe aortic stenosis scheduled to undergo TAVR or SAVR at the discretion of the heart team. Participants completed a cognitive battery before and 3 months after TAVR or SAVR, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), phonemic (letter) verbal fluency, semantic (category) verbal fluency, and the Trail Making test (TMT) A and B. Periprocedural differences in cognition were compared within (pre/post procedure) and between groups using the paired-samples or independent-sample t-test, respectively. The Wilcoxon test was used for non-normally distributed data. RESULTS Of the 63 patients (95% men) included, a total of 43 underwent TAVR and 20 underwent SAVR. Patients undergoing TAVR were older than SAVR patients (78 ± 8 years vs 70 ± 7 years, respectively; P<.001), but had similar STS surgical risk scores (4.9% vs 4.7%, respectively; P=.79). At baseline, there were no differences in cognition. At 3 months post TAVR or SAVR, there were no significant differences for MoCA blind score (16 ± 3 vs 16 ± 3, respectively; P=.61), correct responses in semantic fluency (15 ± 5 vs 15 ± 6, respectively; P=.93), correct responses in phonemic fluency (30 ± 12 vs 28 ± 15, respectively; P=.87), TMT A completion time (54 sec [IQR, 42-65 sec] vs 31 sec [IQR, 28-69 sec], respectively; P=.07), or TMT B completion time (161 sec [IQR, 118-300 sec] vs 173 sec [IQR, 110-300 sec], respectively; P=.87). CONCLUSIONS In this pilot observational study, we observed no significant differences in cognition at baseline or 3 months between SAVR and TAVR groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Garcia
- Minneapolis Heart Institute, 920 East 28th Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55407 USA.
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Fuller-Thomson E, Saab Z, Davison KM, Lin SL, Taler V, Kobayashi K, Tong H. Nutrition, Immigration and Health Determinants Are Linked to Verbal Fluency among Anglophone Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). J Nutr Health Aging 2020; 24:672-680. [PMID: 32510122 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-020-1402-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Later-life cognitive impairment is an important health issue; however, little is known about the condition among diverse groups such as immigrants. This study aims to examine whether the healthy immigrant effect exists for verbal fluency, an indicator of cognitive functioning, among anglophone middle-aged and older adults in Canada. METHODS Using from the baseline data of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), multiple linear regression was employed to compare associations among immigrants (recent and long-term) and Canadian-born residents without dementia for two verbal fluency tests, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) and the Animal Fluency (AF) task. Covariates included socioeconomic, physical health, and dietary intake. RESULTS Of 8,574 anglophone participants (85.7% Canada-born, 74.8% aged 45-65 years, 81.8% married, 81.9% with a post-secondary degree), long-term immigrants (settled in Canada >20 years) performed significantly better than Canadian-born residents for the COWAT (42.8 vs 40.9) but not the AF task (22.4 vs 22.4). Results of the multivariable adjusted regression analyses showed that long-term immigrants performed better than Canadian-born peers in both the COWAT (B=1.57, 95% CI: 0.80-2.34) and the AF test (B=0.57, 95% CI: 0.19-0.95), but this advantage was not observed among recent immigrants. Other factors associated with low verbal fluency performance included being single, socioeconomically disadvantaged, having hypertension, excess body fat, and consuming low amounts of pulses/nuts or fruit/vegetables. CONCLUSIONS Long-term immigrants had higher verbal fluency test scores than their Canadian-born counterparts. Immigration status, social, health and nutritional factors are important considerations for possible intervention and prevention strategies for cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fuller-Thomson
- Prof. Esme Fuller-Thomson, PhD, MSW. FIFSW, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V4, Canada
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Hegarty JP, Zamzow RM, Ferguson BJ, Christ SE, Porges EC, Johnson JD, Beversdorf DQ. Beta-adrenergic antagonism alters functional connectivity during associative processing in a preliminary study of individuals with and without autism. Autism 2019; 24:795-801. [PMID: 31416333 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319868633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Beta-adrenergic antagonism (e.g. propranolol) has been associated with cognitive/behavioral benefits following stress-induced impairments and for some cognitive/behavioral domains in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In this preliminary investigation, we examined whether the benefits of propranolol are associated with functional properties in the brain. Adolescents/adults (mean age = 22.54 years) with (n = 13) and without autism spectrum disorder (n = 13) attended three sessions in which propranolol, nadolol (beta-adrenergic antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier), or placebo was administered before a semantic fluency task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Autonomic nervous system measures and functional connectivity between language/associative processing regions and within the fronto-parietal control, dorsal attention, and default mode networks were examined. Propranolol was associated with improved semantic fluency performance, which was correlated with the baseline resting heart rate. Propranolol also altered network efficiency of regions associated with semantic processing and in an exploratory analysis reduced functional differences in the fronto-parietal control network in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Thus, the cognitive benefits from beta-adrenergic antagonism may be generally associated with improved information processing in the brain in domain-specific networks, but individuals with autism spectrum disorder may also benefit from additional improvements in domain-general networks. The benefits from propranolol may also be able to be predicted from baseline autonomic nervous system measures, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Hegarty
- University of Missouri, USA.,Stanford University School of Medicine, USA
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Vonk JMJ, Rizvi B, Lao PJ, Budge M, Manly JJ, Mayeux R, Brickman AM. Letter and Category Fluency Performance Correlates with Distinct Patterns of Cortical Thickness in Older Adults. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:2694-2700. [PMID: 29893804 PMCID: PMC6519688 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Verbal fluency tasks are generally thought to be mediated by frontal brain regions for letter fluency and temporal regions for category fluency. This idea, however, is primarily based on lesion studies and adapted versions of the fluency tasks in functional neuroimaging, without fundamental evidence from structural neuroimaging in healthy individuals. We investigated the cortical structural correlates of letter and category fluency, including overlapping and different regions, in 505 individuals who participated in a community-based study of healthy aging. The correlation between cortical thickness and verbal fluency in whole-brain analyses revealed distinct cortical signatures for letter fluency, primarily in frontal regions, and category fluency, in frontal and temporal-parietal regions. There was a dissociation in the left inferior frontal gyrus between letter and category fluency, with increased thickness in the posterior-dorsal versus anterior-ventral parts, respectively. These results distinguish the detailed anatomical correlates for verbal fluency within the coarse frontal-temporal distinction inferred from lesion studies and among the mixture of regions identified in functional neuroimaging. The evidence for the anatomical substrates of letter and category fluency, each recruiting slightly different language and cognitive processes, can serve both clinical applications as well as a deeper theoretical understanding of the organization of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jet M J Vonk
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Batool Rizvi
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick J Lao
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariana Budge
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Abstract
In neuropsychological assessment, semantic fluency is a widely accepted measure of executive function and access to semantic memory. While fluency scores are typically reported as the number of unique words produced, several alternative manual scoring methods have been proposed that provide additional insights into performance, such as clusters of semantically related items. Many automatic scoring methods yield metrics that are difficult to relate to the theories behind manual scoring methods, and most require manually-curated linguistic ontologies or large corpus infrastructure. In this paper, we propose a novel automatic scoring method based on Wikipedia, Backlink-VSM, which is easily adaptable to any of the 61 languages with more than 100k Wikipedia entries, can account for cultural differences in semantic relatedness, and covers a wide range of item categories. Our Backlink-VSM method combines relational knowledge as represented by links between Wikipedia entries (Backlink model) with a semantic proximity metric derived from distributional representations (vector space model; VSM). Backlink-VSM yields measures that approximate manual clustering and switching analyses, providing a straightforward link to the substantial literature that uses these metrics. We illustrate our approach with examples from two languages (English and Korean), and two commonly used categories of items (animals and fruits). For both Korean and English, we show that the measures generated by our automatic scoring procedure correlate well with manual annotations. We also successfully replicate findings that older adults produce significantly fewer switches compared to younger adults. Furthermore, our automatic scoring procedure outperforms the manual scoring method and a WordNet-based model in separating younger and older participants measured by binary classification accuracy for both English and Korean datasets. Our method also generalizes to a different category (fruit), demonstrating its adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najoung Kim
- School of Computing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Jung-Ho Kim
- School of Computing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Maria K Wolters
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E MacPherson
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jong C Park
- School of Computing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
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Hwang WJ, Lee TY, Shin WG, Kim M, Kim J, Lee J, Kwon JS. Global and Specific Profiles of Executive Functioning in Prodromal and Early Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:356. [PMID: 31178768 PMCID: PMC6537881 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Numerous reports on neurocognitive functioning deficits in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) and first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients suggest particular deficits in executive functioning (EF). However, to date, most of the studies have administered a single or a few EF tests to participants, and few investigations have examined the different components of EF to identify specific subdomains of relative strength and weakness. Method: Forty CHR subjects, 85 FEP patients, and 85 healthy controls (HCs) were assessed with a neuropsychological battery to elucidate the profiles of EF in the subdomains of shift, attention, fluency, and planning. Results: In the subdomains of shift, attention, and fluency, CHR individuals and FEP patients showed deficits compared to HC. The post hoc analysis revealed that CHR individuals had comparable attention shifting and phonemic fluency compared to FEP. CHR showed intermediate deficits between FEP and HCs in spatial working memory and semantic fluency, and the largest effect size was observed in semantic fluency both for CHR and FEP. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study, in addition to providing detailed profiles of EF in prodromal and early psychosis patients, highlight the informative value of the specific subdomains of semantic fluency and spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Jeong Hwang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Tae Young Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Won-Gyo Shin
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jihyang Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Junhee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, South Korea
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Marshall CR, Jones A, Fastelli A, Atkinson J, Botting N, Morgan G. Semantic fluency in deaf children who use spoken and signed language in comparison with hearing peers. Int J Lang Commun Disord 2018; 53:157-170. [PMID: 28691260 PMCID: PMC5811791 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deafness has an adverse impact on children's ability to acquire spoken languages. Signed languages offer a more accessible input for deaf children, but because the vast majority are born to hearing parents who do not sign, their early exposure to sign language is limited. Deaf children as a whole are therefore at high risk of language delays. AIMS We compared deaf and hearing children's performance on a semantic fluency task. Optimal performance on this task requires a systematic search of the mental lexicon, the retrieval of words within a subcategory and, when that subcategory is exhausted, switching to a new subcategory. We compared retrieval patterns between groups, and also compared the responses of deaf children who used British Sign Language (BSL) with those who used spoken English. We investigated how semantic fluency performance related to children's expressive vocabulary and executive function skills, and also retested semantic fluency in the majority of the children nearly 2 years later, in order to investigate how much progress they had made in that time. METHODS & PROCEDURES Participants were deaf children aged 6-11 years (N = 106, comprising 69 users of spoken English, 29 users of BSL and eight users of Sign Supported English-SSE) compared with hearing children (N = 120) of the same age who used spoken English. Semantic fluency was tested for the category 'animals'. We coded for errors, clusters (e.g., 'pets', 'farm animals') and switches. Participants also completed the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test and a battery of six non-verbal executive function tasks. In addition, we collected follow-up semantic fluency data for 70 deaf and 74 hearing children, nearly 2 years after they were first tested. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Deaf children, whether using spoken or signed language, produced fewer items in the semantic fluency task than hearing children, but they showed similar patterns of responses for items most commonly produced, clustering of items into subcategories and switching between subcategories. Both vocabulary and executive function scores predicted the number of correct items produced. Follow-up data from deaf participants showed continuing delays relative to hearing children 2 years later. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS We conclude that semantic fluency can be used experimentally to investigate lexical organization in deaf children, and that it potentially has clinical utility across the heterogeneous deaf population. We present normative data to aid clinicians who wish to use this task with deaf children.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. R. Marshall
- UCL Institute of EducationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - A. Jones
- UCL DeafnessCognition and Language Research CentreUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - J. Atkinson
- UCL DeafnessCognition and Language Research CentreUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - N. Botting
- Language and Communication ScienceSchool of Health SciencesCity University of LondonLondonUK
| | - G. Morgan
- UCL DeafnessCognition and Language Research CentreUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Language and Communication ScienceSchool of Health SciencesCity University of LondonLondonUK
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Abstract
We investigated age-related decline of bilingual language control. Thirteen older and 13 younger bilinguals performed a verbal fluency task (completing the same letter and semantic categories in each language and switching languages after every category), and a non-linguistic flanker task. In letter fluency, bilinguals produced fewer correct responses after switching languages, suggesting inhibition of the previously-used language. However, this testing-order effect did not differ between groups and older bilinguals produced few wrong-language intrusions, implying intact ability to apply inhibition in older age. In contrast, age-related deficits in the flanker task were robust, implying dissociations between language control and domain-general executive control. In semantic fluency, there were no testing-order effects but older bilinguals produced more intrusions than younger bilinguals, and more intrusions than in letter fluency. Thus, bilinguals may flexibly modulate the degree of inhibition when they can benefit from semantic priming between languages, but less efficiently so in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Ivanova
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of California, San Diego
| | - Mayra Murillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
| | - Rosa I. Montoya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
| | - Tamar H. Gollan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
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Vuksanović J, Jelić MB, Milanović SD, Kačar K, Konstantinović L, Filipović SR. Improvement of language functions in a chronic non-fluent post-stroke aphasic patient following bilateral sequential theta burst magnetic stimulation. Neurocase 2015; 21:244-50. [PMID: 24579976 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2014.890731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In chronic non-fluent aphasia patients, inhibition of the intact right hemisphere (RH), by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or similar methods, can induce improvement in language functions. The supposed mechanism behind this improvement is a release of preserved left hemisphere (LH) language networks from RH transcallosal inhibition. Direct stimulation of the damaged LH can sometimes bring similar results too. Therefore, we developed a novel treatment approach that combined direct LH (Broca's area (BA)) stimulation, by intermittent theta burst stimulation (TBS), with homologue RH area's inhibition, by continuous TBS. We present the results of application of 15 daily sessions of the described treatment approach in a right-handed patient with chronic post-stroke non-fluent aphasia. The intervention appeared to improve several language functions, but most notably propositional speech, semantic fluency, short-term verbal memory, and verbal learning. Bilateral TBS modulation of activation of the language-related areas of both hemispheres seems to be a feasible and promising way to induce recovery in chronic aphasic patients. Due to potentially cumulative physiological effects of bilateral stimulation, the improvements may be even greater than following unilateral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Vuksanović
- a Department of Neurophysiology , Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade , Beograd , Serbia
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Kennedy RE, Wadley VG, McClure LA, Letter AJ, Unverzagt FW, Crowe M, Nyenhius D, Kelley BJ, Kana B, Marceaux J, Kurella Tamura M, Howard V, Howard G. Performance of the NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol in a national population-based sample. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2014; 20:856-67. [PMID: 25166350 DOI: 10.1017/S1355617714000733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In 2006, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) Vascular Cognitive Impairment Harmonization Standards recommended a 5-Minute Protocol as a brief screening instrument for vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). We report demographically adjusted norms for the 5-Minute Protocol and its relation to other measures of cognitive function and cerebrovascular risk factors. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 7199 stroke-free adults in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study on the NINDS-CSN 5-Minute Protocol score. Total scores on the 5-Minute Protocol were inversely correlated with age and positively correlated with years of education, and performance on the Six-Item Screener, Word List Learning, and Animal Fluency (all p-values <.001). Higher cerebrovascular risk on the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) was associated with lower total 5-Minute Protocol scores (p <.001). The 5-Minute Protocol also differentiated between participants with and without confirmed stroke and with and without stroke symptom histories (p <.001). The NINDS-CSN 5-Minute Protocol is a brief, easily administered screening measure that is sensitive to cerebrovascular risk and offers a valid method of screening for cognitive impairment in populations at risk for VCI.
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Schmid M, Hammar Å. A follow-up study of first episode major depressive disorder. Impairment in inhibition and semantic fluency-potential predictors for relapse? Front Psychol 2013; 4:633. [PMID: 24062714 PMCID: PMC3772336 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The present study investigated the Executive Functions (EF) of inhibition, mental flexibility and phonemic and semantic fluency in a 1-year follow-up assessment of patients diagnosed with first episode Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In the acute phase, the patient group performed significantly poorer compared to the control group (CG) in inhibition and semantic fluency. The present study pursued these findings from the acute phase to see if the impairment seen in inhibition and semantic fluency in the acute phase normalized or persisted in the follow-up assessment. In addition, the present study investigated the association between poor inhibition and semantic fluency performance and the experience of relapse during the 1-year period. Twenty eight patients and 28 individually matched control subjects were included. EF was reassessed using three tests from the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). RESULTS There was a significant decrease in depression severity score from the acute phase, showing that most of the patients were in remission in the follow-up assessment. RESULTS showed a sustained impairment in inhibition and semantic fluency in the patient group. However, the performance in inhibition was more severe when an additional requirement of mental flexibility was included. There were no group differences in the other EF functions measured. Further, patients with a relapse in the course of 1 year performed significantly poorer in inhibition/switching at inclusion compared to patients that did not relapse and the CG. This relationship was not found for semantic fluency. Poor performance in inhibition and semantic fluency are prolonged despite symptom reduction in patients with a first episode of MDD. Moreover, although based on a small sample of patients, the present study showed that there may be a relationship between impaired ability in the EF of inhibition/switching and vulnerability for the experience of relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Schmid
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of BergenBergen, Norway
- Moodnet Research Group, Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University HospitalBergen, Norway
| | - Åsa Hammar
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of BergenBergen, Norway
- Moodnet Research Group, Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University HospitalBergen, Norway
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, University of BergenBergen, Norway
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Zlatar ZZ, Towler S, McGregor KM, Dzierzewski JM, Bauer A, Phan S, Cohen M, Marsiske M, Manini TM, Crosson B. Functional language networks in sedentary and physically active older adults. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2013; 19:625-34. [PMID: 23458438 PMCID: PMC3691286 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617713000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified consistent age-related changes during various cognitive tasks, such that older individuals display more positive and less negative task-related activity than young adults. Recently, evidence shows that chronic physical exercise may alter aging-related changes in brain activity; however, the effect of exercise has not been studied for the neural substrates of language function. Additionally, the potential mechanisms by which aging alters neural recruitment remain understudied. To address these points, the present study enrolled elderly adults who were either sedentary or physically active to characterize the neural correlates of language function during semantic fluency between these groups in comparison to a young adult sample. Participants underwent fMRI during semantic fluency and transcranial magnetic stimulation to collect the ipsilateral silent period, a measure of interhemispheric inhibition. Results indicated that sedentary older adults displayed reductions in negative task-related activity compared to the active old group in areas of the attention network. Longer interhemispheric inhibition was associated with more negative task-related activity in the right and left posterior perisylvian cortex, suggesting that sedentary aging may result in losses in task facilitatory cortical inhibition. However, these losses may be mitigated by regular engagement in physical exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zvinka Z Zlatar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0664, USA.
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Kraan C, Stolwyk RJ, Testa R. The Abilities Associated with Verbal Fluency Performance in a Young, Healthy Population Are Multifactorial and Differ Across Fluency Variants. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 2013; 20:159-168. [PMID: 23383872 DOI: 10.1080/09084282.2012.670157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Numerous variants of verbal fluency tasks exist within clinical and research domains that purport to measure "executive function." However, to date, there has been a paucity of research examining what specific abilities are measured by these tasks. In this study, the relationships between a select group of cognitive constructs and phonemic, semantic, alternating, and excluded-letter verbal fluency tests were examined in 93 young healthy individuals (aged 18 to 35 years old). Forward-selection multiple regression analyses were performed for each fluency task. Phonemic fluency was associated with verbal intellectual function and processing speed; semantic fluency was associated with working memory and semantic word retrieval; excluded-letter fluency was associated with processing speed; and alternating fluency was associated with semantic word retrieval. These results highlight verbal intellectual function, processing speed, and semantic word-retrieval contributions to verbal fluency performances. The main conclusion from this study is that the abilities associated with verbal fluency performance in a young healthy population are multifactorial and differ across fluency variants. These findings progress our theoretical understanding of what is measured by different verbal fluency tasks and will assist interpretation of performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine Kraan
- a School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Rene J Stolwyk
- a School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Renee Testa
- b School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia
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Eastman JA, Hwang KS, Lazaris A, Chow N, Ramirez L, Babakchanian S, Woo E, Thompson PM, Apostolova LG. Cortical thickness and semantic fluency in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 1:81-92. [PMID: 25346870 DOI: 10.7726/ajad.2013.1006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is declarative memory loss, but deficits in semantic fluency are also observed. We assessed how semantic fluency relates to cortical atrophy to identify specific regions that play a role in the loss of access to semantic information. Whole-brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were analyzed from 9 Normal Control (NC)(M=76.7, SD=5.6), 40 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (M=74.4, SD=8.6), and 10 probable AD (M=72.4, SD=8.0) subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). They all were administered the Category Fluency (CF) animals and vegetables tests. Poorer semantic fluency was associated with bilateral cortical atrophy of the inferior parietal lobule (Brodman areas (BA) 39 and 40) and BA 6, 8, and 9 in the frontal lobe, as well as BA 22 in the temporal lobe. More diffuse frontal associations were seen in the left hemisphere involving BA 9, 10, 32, 44, 45, and 46. Additional cortical atrophy was seen in the temporoparietal (BA 37) and the right parastriate (BA 19, 18) cortices. Associations were more diffuse for performance on vegetable fluency than animal fluency. The permutation-corrected map-wise significance for CF animals was pcorrected=0.01 for the left hemisphere, and pcorrected=0.06 for the right hemisphere. The permutation-corrected map-wise significance for CF vegetables was pcorrected=0.009 for the left hemisphere, and pcorrected=0.03 for the right hemisphere. These results demonstrate the profound effect of cortical atrophy on semantic fluency. Specifically, tapping into semantic knowledge involves the frontal lobe in addition to the language cortices of the temporoparietal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Eastman
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristy S Hwang
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicole Chow
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Ramirez
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sona Babakchanian
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ellen Woo
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liana G Apostolova
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Davis C, Heidler-Gary J, Gottesman RF, Crinion J, Newhart M, Moghekar A, Soloman D, Rigamonti D, Cloutman L, Hillis AE. Action versus animal naming fluency in subcortical dementia, frontal dementias, and Alzheimer's disease. Neurocase 2010; 16:259-66. [PMID: 20104387 PMCID: PMC4059509 DOI: 10.1080/13554790903456183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates action naming may rely more on frontal-subcortical circuits, and noun naming may rely more on temporal cortex. Therefore, noun versus action fluency might distinguish frontal and subcortical dementias from cortical dementias primarily affecting temporal and/or parietal cortex such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized patients with subcortical dementia, e.g., normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and patients with dementias predominantly affecting frontal cortex, e.g., behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) and progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA) have more difficulty on action fluency versus noun fluency (e.g., animal naming). Patients with AD, who have temporo parietal cortical dysfunction, should have more difficulty on noun versus verb fluency. A total of 234 participants, including healthy controls (n = 20) and patients diagnosed with NPH (n =144), AD (n = 33), bv-FTD (n = 22) or PNFA (n =15) were administered animal fluency, action fluency, and letter fluency tasks, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, to control for dementia severity). NPH and bv-FTD/PNFA patients had significantly higher MMSE scores and animal fluency than AD patients (after adjusting for age), but their action fluency tended to be lower than in AD. Only NPH and bvFTD/PNFA patients showed significantly lower action verb than animal fluency. Results provide novel evidence that action naming relies more on frontal-subcortical circuits while noun naming relies more on temporoparietal cortex, indicating action verb fluency may be more sensitive than noun fluency, particularly for detecting frontal-subcortical dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Davis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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Drane DL, Lee GP, Cech H, Huthwaite JS, Ojemann GA, Ojemann JG, Loring DW, Meador KJ. Structured cueing on a semantic fluency task differentiates patients with temporal versus frontal lobe seizure onset. Epilepsy Behav 2006; 9:339-44. [PMID: 16870509 PMCID: PMC2727920 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2006.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2006] [Revised: 06/14/2006] [Accepted: 06/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Patients with frontal lobe dysfunction (e.g., Huntington's disease) reportedly benefit more from cueing on measures of semantic fluency than do patients with damage to temporal lobe structures (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). This differential benefit from cueing suggests that different neurocognitive functions are impaired in these two groups. Patients with frontal lobe dysfunction are presumed to have difficulty with the executive aspects of this generative fluency task, whereas patients with temporal lobe impairment are limited by deficits in semantic memory. We studied the performance of patients with complex partial seizures of frontal or temporal lobe onset, as determined by video/EEG monitoring, on standard and cued measures of semantic fluency administered in a counterbalanced sequence across groups. These groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, education, gender, age at seizure onset, total number of antiepileptic drugs, or IQ, and all patients subsequently underwent surgery for intractable epilepsy. Patients with frontal lobe dysfunction (FL group) performed significantly worse than patients with temporal lobe impairment (TL group) on the standard semantic fluency paradigm (TL group: M=18.4, SD=4.7; FL group: M=11.1, SD=5.3), t(27)=-3.75, P<0.001. Nevertheless, results of an ANCOVA demonstrated that the FL group showed significantly greater performance improvement than the TL group when provided with a cued semantic fluency format, even after controlling for baseline differences in ability on the standard semantic fluency task (TL group: M=0.45, SD=3.8; FL M=9.4, SD=5.1), F(1,29)=12.37, P=0.002. These findings support previous research suggesting that frontal and temporal structures contribute uniquely to semantic generative fluency and suggest that using a combination of standard and cued semantic fluency tasks may help confirm localization of seizure onset in partial epilepsy by localizing the associated cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Drane
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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