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Clustering and Switching Strategies During Verbal Fluency Performance Differentiate Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2011

Nicole Haugrud ,
Margaret Crossley  and
Mirna Vrbancic
Nicole Haugrud*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Margaret Crossley
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Mirna Vrbancic
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Clinical Health Psychology, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Nicole Haugrud, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. E-mail: nicole.haugrud@usask.ca
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Abstract

Clustering and switching strategies during phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks as defined by Troyer et al. (1997), Abwender et al. (2001), and Lanting et al. (2009) were compared using archival data to determine which scoring procedures best differentiate healthy older adults (n = 26) from individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 26). Total word production showed the largest group difference, especially for semantic fluency. The AD group produced fewer switches when compared to the healthy control group, whereas the groups did not differ in cluster size. The AD group also accessed fewer novel semantic subcategories, presumably due to reduced access to semantic memory storage rather than lower processing speed. Clustering and switching scores on the phonemic task did not add information above total words produced, consistent with previous research indicating these variables are most informative in relation to semantic fluency. (JINS, 2011, 17, 1153–1157)

Keywords

LanguageExecutive functionSemantic memoryNeuropsychologyDementiaCognitive
Type
Brief Communications
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 17 , Issue 6 , November 2011 , pp. 1153 - 1157
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2011

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