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Haitas N, Dubuc J, Massé-Leblanc C, Chamberland V, Amiri M, Glatard T, Wilson M, Joanette Y, Steffener J. Registered report: Age-preserved semantic memory and the CRUNCH effect manifested as differential semantic control networks: An fMRI study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0289384. [PMID: 38917084 PMCID: PMC11198863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Semantic memory representations are generally well maintained in aging, whereas semantic control is thought to be more affected. To explain this phenomenon, this study tested the predictions of the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH), focusing on task demands in aging as a possible framework. The CRUNCH effect would manifest itself in semantic tasks through a compensatory increase in neural activation in semantic control network regions but only up to a certain threshold of task demands. This study compares 39 younger (20-35 years old) with 39 older participants (60-75 years old) in a triad-based semantic judgment task performed in an fMRI scanner while manipulating task demand levels (low versus high) through semantic distance. In line with the CRUNCH predictions, differences in neurofunctional activation and behavioral performance (accuracy and response times) were expected in younger versus older participants in the low- versus high-demand conditions, which should be manifested in semantic control Regions of Interest (ROIs). Our older participants had intact behavioral performance, as proposed in the literature for semantic memory tasks (maintained accuracy and slower response times (RTs)). Age-invariant behavioral performance in the older group compared to the younger one is necessary to test the CRUNCH predictions. The older adults were also characterized by high cognitive reserve, as our neuropsychological tests showed. Our behavioral results confirmed that our task successfully manipulated task demands: error rates, RTs and perceived difficulty increased with increasing task demands in both age groups. We did not find an interaction between age group and task demand, or a statistically significant difference in activation between the low- and high-demand conditions for either RTs or accuracy. As for brain activation, we did not find the expected age group by task demand interaction, or a significant main effect of task demand. Overall, our results are compatible with some neural activation in the semantic network and the semantic control network, largely in frontotemporoparietal regions. ROI analyses demonstrated significant effects (but no interactions) of task demand in the left and right inferior frontal gyrus, the left posterior middle temporal gyrus, the posterior inferior temporal gyrus and the prefrontal gyrus. Overall, our test did not confirm the CRUNCH predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niobe Haitas
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jade Dubuc
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Vincent Chamberland
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mahnoush Amiri
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tristan Glatard
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maximiliano Wilson
- Centre de Recherche CERVO – CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale et Département de Réadaptation, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jason Steffener
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Vélez-Uribe I, Rosselli M, Newman D, Gonzalez J, Gonzalez Pineiro Y, Barker WW, Marsiske M, Fiala J, Lang MK, Conniff J, Ahne E, Goytizolo A, Loewenstein DA, Curiel RE, Duara R. Cross-cultural Diagnostic Validity of the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) in a Sample of Older Adults. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:464-481. [PMID: 38123477 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the 32-item version of the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) in participants from 2 ethnic groups (European Americans [EA; n = 106] and Hispanic Americans [HA; n = 175]) with 3 diagnostic groups (cognitively normal [CN], n = 94, mild cognitive impairment [MCI], n = 148, and dementia, n = 39). METHOD An Item Response Theory model was used to evaluate items across ethnicity and language groups (Spanish and English), resulting in a 24-item version. We analyzed the MINT discriminant and predictive validity across diagnostic groups. RESULTS A total of 8 items were differentially difficult between languages in the 32-item version of the MINT. EA scored significantly higher than HA, but the difference was not significant when removing those 8 items (controlling for Education). The Receiver Operating Characteristics showed that the MINT had poor accuracy when identifying CN participants and was acceptable in identifying dementia participants but unacceptable in classifying MCI participants. Finally, we tested the association between MINT scores and magnetic resonance imaging volumetric measures of language-related areas in the temporal and frontal lobes. The 32-item MINT in English and Spanish and the 24-item MINT in Spanish were significantly correlated with the bilateral middle temporal gyrus. The left fusiform gyrus correlated with MINT scores regardless of language and MINT version. We also found differential correlations depending on the language of administration. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the importance of analyzing cross-cultural samples when implementing clinical neuropsychological tests such as the MINT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idaly Vélez-Uribe
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA
| | - Mónica Rosselli
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - David Newman
- Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Joanna Gonzalez
- Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA
| | - Yaimara Gonzalez Pineiro
- Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA
| | - Warren W Barker
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA
| | - Michael Marsiske
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jacob Fiala
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Merike K Lang
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Joshua Conniff
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Emily Ahne
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Alicia Goytizolo
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - David A Loewenstein
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rosie E Curiel
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ranjan Duara
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Miami Beach and Gainesville, FL, USA
- Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA
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Engelhardt PE, Markostamou I. Disfluency across the lifespan: an individual differences investigation. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38767398 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2024.2354958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
This study had two research objectives. The first was to examine age-related differences in the fluency of speech outputs, as prior research contains conflicting findings concerning whether older adults produce more disfluency than younger adults. The second was to examine cognitive individual differences, and their relationship with the production of disfluency. One hundred and fifty-four adults completed a story re-telling task, and a battery of cognitive measures. Results showed that younger adults produced more um's and fewer repetitions. For individual differences, results showed that inhibition and set shifting were related to the production of repetitions, and inhibition and working memory were related to uh production. Our results provide clarification about mixed findings with respect age and disfluency production. The individual differences provide clarification on theoretical arguments for disfluent speech in aging (e.g. Inhibition Deficit Hypothesis), and also sheds light on the role of executive functions in models of language production.
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Baciu M, Roger E. Finding the Words: How Does the Aging Brain Process Language? A Focused Review of Brain Connectivity and Compensatory Pathways. Top Cogn Sci 2024. [PMID: 38734967 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
As people age, there is a natural decline in cognitive functioning and brain structure. However, the relationship between brain function and cognition in older adults is neither straightforward nor uniform. Instead, it is complex, influenced by multiple factors, and can vary considerably from one person to another. Reserve, compensation, and maintenance mechanisms may help explain why some older adults can maintain high levels of performance while others struggle. These mechanisms are often studied concerning memory and executive functions that are particularly sensitive to the effects of aging. However, language abilities can also be affected by age, with changes in production fluency. The impact of brain changes on language abilities needs to be further investigated to understand the dynamics and patterns of aging, especially successful aging. We previously modeled several compensatory profiles of language production and lexical access/retrieval in aging within the Lexical Access and Retrieval in Aging (LARA) model. In the present paper, we propose an extended version of the LARA model, called LARA-Connectivity (LARA-C), incorporating recent evidence on brain connectivity. Finally, we discuss factors that may influence the strategies implemented with aging. The LARA-C model can serve as a framework to understand individual performance and open avenues for possible personalized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Baciu
- LPNC, Psychology Department, Grenoble Alps University
- Neurology Department, Grenoble Alps University Hospital
| | - Elise Roger
- LPNC, Psychology Department, Grenoble Alps University
- Communication and Aging Laboratory, Research Center of the University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal
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Krethlow G, Fargier R, Atanasova T, Ménétré E, Laganaro M. Asynchronous behavioral and neurophysiological changes in word production in the adult lifespan. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae187. [PMID: 38715409 PMCID: PMC11077060 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and brain-related changes in word production have been claimed to predominantly occur after 70 years of age. Most studies investigating age-related changes in adulthood only compared young to older adults, failing to determine whether neural processes underlying word production change at an earlier age than observed in behavior. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating whether changes in neurophysiological processes underlying word production are aligned with behavioral changes. Behavior and the electrophysiological event-related potential patterns of word production were assessed during a picture naming task in 95 participants across five adult lifespan age groups (ranging from 16 to 80 years old). While behavioral performance decreased starting from 70 years of age, significant neurophysiological changes were present at the age of 40 years old, in a time window (between 150 and 220 ms) likely associated with lexical-semantic processes underlying referential word production. These results show that neurophysiological modifications precede the behavioral changes in language production; they can be interpreted in line with the suggestion that the lexical-semantic reorganization in mid-adulthood influences the maintenance of language skills longer than for other cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Krethlow
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Tanja Atanasova
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric Ménétré
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marina Laganaro
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd du Pont d’Arve 40, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
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Rojas C, San Martín M, Urzúa P, Guerra E. Word or pseudoword? The lexicality effect in naming and lexical decision tasks during advanced aging. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299266. [PMID: 38422103 PMCID: PMC10903840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Although there is evidence that recognizing pseudowords is more difficult than recognizing words during childhood, adulthood, and early old age (60-75 years), it is not yet clear what happens during advanced aging or the fourth age, a stage when the decline of fluid intelligence strongly affects processing speed, but a good performance of crystallized intelligence is described through an increase in vocabulary and knowledge. The objective of this study was to determine the lexicality effect in advanced aging, specifically exploring how the ability to recognize words and pseudowords (ortho-phonologically plausible for Spanish) is affected during the third and fourth-ages. The lexicality effect was measured using naming and lexical decision tasks. Response time and accuracy were compared between a fourth-age group (80+ years) and two third-age groups (60-69 and 70-79 years) through linear regression models. The results showed that, in general, the fourth-age group had longer response times and reduced accuracy when recognizing words and pseudowords. Moreover, they showed a significant lexicality effect (which increases from the third- age onwards), reflected in higher costs during pseudoword recognition, especially when the task required more cognitive effort (lexical decision task). These results were consistent with the impact of the deterioration of fluid intelligence on the speed of lexical recognition and with the better performance that crystallized intelligence can generate on accuracy, especially in the early stages of old age. Additionally, this study supports the fact that pseudoword recognition resists cognitive decline, as accentuated deterioration is visualized only after 80 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Rojas
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Marilyn San Martín
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Paula Urzúa
- School of Phonoaudiology /Speech Therapy, Universidad de Las Americas, Concepción, Chile
| | - Ernesto Guerra
- Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Cui Y, Zhang Q. Effects of age on the time course of syntactic priming in Chinese sentence production: an ERP study. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad503. [PMID: 38282453 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Using a syntactic priming task, we investigated the time course of syntactic encoding in Chinese sentence production and compared encoding patterns between younger and older adults. Participants alternately read sentence descriptions and overtly described pictures, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. We manipulated the abstract prime structure (active or passive) as well as the lexical overlap of the prime and the target (verb overlap or no overlap). The syntactic choice results replicated classical abstract priming and lexical boost effects in both younger and older adults. However, when production latency was taken into account, the speed benefit from syntactic repetition differed between the two age groups. Meanwhile, preferred priming facilitated production in both age groups, whereas nonpreferred priming inhibited production in the older group. For electroencephalography, an earlier effect of syntactic repetition and a later effect of lexical overlap showed a two-stage pattern of syntactic encoding. Older adults also showed a more delayed and interactive encoding pattern than younger adults, indicating a greater reliance on lexical information. These results are illustrative of the two-stage competition and residual activation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cui
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Qingfang Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China
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Sung JE, Jo E, Choi S, Lee J. Coordinating Words and Sentences: Detecting Age-Related Changes in Language Production. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:211-220. [PMID: 38099825 PMCID: PMC11000805 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine whether older adults exhibit reduced abilities in coordinating lexical retrieval and syntactic formulation during sentence production and whether an individual's working memory capacity predicts age-related changes in sentence production. METHOD A total of 124 Korean-speaking individuals (79 young and 45 older adults) completed a lexical priming sentence production task. The participants described a target picture (a dog biting a monkey) after reading either an agent (dog) or a theme (monkey) prime word. The proportion of passive sentences was used as the dependent variable. RESULTS When the theme noun was primed, older adults produced fewer passive sentences than young adults. Working memory tasks significantly predicted individual differences in the sentence production of older adults. CONCLUSIONS With aging, the ability to efficiently formulate syntactic structures in coordination with varying lexical information declines. Among older adults, age-related changes in these sentence production processes are associated with reduced working memory. Our constrained language production task is sensitive to detecting aging effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Eun Sung
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eunha Jo
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sujin Choi
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jiyeon Lee
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
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Gollan TH, Garcia DL, Stasenko A, Murillo M, Kim C, Galasko D, Salmon DP. The MINT Sprint 2.0: A picture naming test for detection of naming impairments in Alzheimer's disease and in preclinical AD. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:112-123. [PMID: 37464962 PMCID: PMC10916946 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Evidence on the onset of naming deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is mixed. Some studies showed an early decline, but others did not. The present study introduces evidence from a novel naming test. METHODS Cognitively normal (n = 138), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 21), and Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 31) groups completed an expanded Multilingual Naming Test with a time-pressured administration procedure (MINT Sprint 2.0). Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers classified participants as true controls (n = 61) or preclinical AD (n = 26). RESULTS Total correct MINT Sprint 2.0 scores exhibited good sensitivity and specificity (>0.85) for discriminating true controls from cognitively impaired (MCI/AD) groups and showed significant differences between true controls and preclinical AD groups. Time measurement did not improve classification, but percent resolved scores exhibited promise as an independent AD marker. DISCUSSION Naming deficits can be detected in the earliest stages of AD with tests and procedures designed for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar H. Gollan
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dalia L. Garcia
- Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative DisordersSan Diego State University/University of California, San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alena Stasenko
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mayra Murillo
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chi Kim
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Diego and Shiley‐Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Diego and Shiley‐Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - David P. Salmon
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Diego and Shiley‐Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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Fargier R, Laganaro M. Referential and inferential production across the lifespan: different patterns and different predictive cognitive factors. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1237523. [PMID: 38022984 PMCID: PMC10643179 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ability to speak is grounded in general memory and control processes and likely changes across the lifespan. However, our knowledge on how word production abilities naturally evolve from childhood to old age remains marginally investigated. Our aim was to shed further light on this issue by exploiting the contrast between two ways to elicit word production: referential picture naming and inferential naming from definition. Methods We collected accuracy and production latencies in a picture naming task and in a naming from definition task from 130 participants ranging from 10 to 80 years old. Measures of vocabulary size, digit span memory, semantic and phonemic fluencies and processing speed were also collected. We used multivariate adaptative regression splines and regression models to characterize lifespan patterns of the two tasks. Results Patterns of increase in performance were similar for picture naming and naming from definition only from childhood to young adulthood. In the second half of the lifespan, significant decrease of performance was found in older adults for picture naming (from around 60 years-old) but not for naming from definition. Clearly, word production elicited with an inferential task (naming from definition) yields different age-related patterns than usually described in the literature with a referential task (picture naming). Discussion We discuss how cognitive processes such as visual-conceptual processes and lexical prediction may explain the differential pattern of results in aging in referential and inferential production tasks. We argue for more lifespan studies and the need to investigate language production beyond picture naming, in particular with respect to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Laganaro
- Neuropsycholinguistics Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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de Bruin A, Kressel H, Hemmings D. A comparison of language control while switching within versus between languages in younger and older adults. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16740. [PMID: 37798366 PMCID: PMC10555994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43886-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Word retrieval during language production slows down with age. However, bilinguals also require language control to manage language competition, in particular when switching languages to cues. The current study examined how this bilingual language control differs between younger and older adults. It also compared bilingual control, and age-group differences, to control that might be applied when alternating between responses within one language. In Experiment 1, 40 younger and 40 older monolingual adults completed a task alternating between noun and verb responses to pictures. The task showed costs associated with language control but these did not differ between age groups. Experiment 2 was completed by 50 older and 50 younger bilingual adults. Older adults showed larger switching costs than younger adults when switching between and within languages, suggesting they experienced more difficulty with reactive control. However, while older adults showed larger mixing costs than younger adults when using two languages in the dual-language environment relative to the single-language environment, they surprisingly showed smaller mixing costs than younger adults in the noun-verb within-language naming task. These findings show that language control, and the way it differs between older and younger adults, is not the same across within- and bilingual-language competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela de Bruin
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Heidi Kressel
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
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Meulemans C, Leijten M, De Maeyer S. The influence of age and verb transitivity on written sentence production. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2023; 37:958-977. [PMID: 36124559 DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2022.2109992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we explore the influences of normal ageing and verb transitivity on sentence production. The underlying aim is to provide a foundation for further research on sentence production in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used a computer-based written sentence production task, designed to elicit intransitive, monotransitive and ditransitive sentences. Data was collected using keystroke logging, a technique to capture the entire typing process. Data of ninety healthy elderly was analysed focusing on the following writing process variables: time on task, production time and pause times. Results show that age influences time on task, pause time before sentences and within words. Verb transitivity influences time on task, production time and pause time between words. For pause time before sentences and between words, an interaction effect between age and verb transitivity was found as well. These results indicate that a follow-up study with AD patients should not attribute a slowdown in one of these variables to the disease in its entirety but should instead be compared with the slowdown in age-matched healthy peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Meulemans
- Research Foundation Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mariëlle Leijten
- Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sven De Maeyer
- Department of Training and Education Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Rojas C, Riffo B, San Martín M, Guerra E. Lexical Access Restrictions after the Age of 80. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1343. [PMID: 37759944 PMCID: PMC10526362 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the fourth age (80+ years), cognitive difficulties increase. Although language seems to resist the advancement of age, an older person without pathological developments in cognition may exhibit deficits in lexical access. This study examines the restrictions on lexical access in people aged 80 and older in word recognition and retrieval modalities through four lexical tasks. METHOD The effect of aging on response time and accuracy was measured using recognition (lexical decision/naming/priming) and retrieval (picture naming) tasks. A fourth age group (>80) and two third age groups (60-69/70-79) were compared according to lexical access modality and type of task employed through linear regression models. RESULTS People aged 80 and older exhibit a strong lexical access constraint, as they are slower and less accurate in recognizing and retrieving words than both third age groups. These restrictions are more profound for the word retrieval modality, especially in the picture naming task. CONCLUSION Impaired fluid intelligence and internode transmission deficits during advanced aging could further reduce the ability to recognize and/or retrieve words, having an impact on access speed and accuracy. Furthermore, the idea that crystallized intelligence could strengthen the accuracy of lexical access during aging is supported, specifically in word recognition modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Rojas
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
| | - Bernardo Riffo
- Department of Spanish, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile;
| | - Marilyn San Martín
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
| | - Ernesto Guerra
- Center for Advanced Research in Education, Institute of Education (IE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8320000, Chile;
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14
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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? NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 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] [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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15
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Pentikäinen E, Kimppa L, Pitkäniemi A, Lahti O, Särkämö T. Longitudinal effects of choir singing on aging cognition and wellbeing: a two-year follow-up study. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1174574. [PMID: 37545597 PMCID: PMC10398963 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1174574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction While increasing evidence points toward the benefits of musical activities in promoting cognitive and emotional well-being in older adults, more longitudinal studies are needed to establish their long-term effects and uncover the mechanisms through which musical activities affect well-being. Most previous research has focused on instrumental musical activities, but little is currently known about the long-term effects of singing, even though neuroimaging evidence suggests that it is a versatile activity for the brain, involving a multitude of neural processes that are potentially beneficial for well-being. Methods We conducted a 2-year follow-up study to assess aging-related changes in cognitive functioning and emotional and social well-being with self-report questionnaires and standardized tests in 107 older adult choir singers and 62 demographically matched non-singers. Data were collected at baseline (T1), and at 1-year (T2) and 2-year (T3) follow-ups using questionnaires on subjective cognitive functioning, depression, social engagement, and quality of life (QOL) in all participants and neuropsychological tests in a subgroup of participants (45 choir singers and 41 non-singers). Results The results of linear mixed model analysis showed that in verbal flexibility (phonemic fluency task), the choir singers had higher scores already at T1 and showed no change over time, whereas the non-singers showed enhancement from T1 to T3. Furthermore, active retrieval of word knowledge (WAIS-IV Vocabulary task) showed significantly different changes from T1 to T2 between the groups (enhancement in choir singers and decline in non-singers), however lacking significant change within groups. Similar opposite trajectories of QOL related to social inclusion and safety of the environment (WHOQOL-Bref Environmental subscale) were significant from T1 to T3, but these changes were not significant within groups or at each timepoint. Within the choir singers, shorter experience in choir singing was associated with greater improvement in the vocabulary task over the follow-up period, suggesting that initiation of choir singing at older age induces some verbal benefits. There were no group differences in any other questionnaire or neuropsychological measure over time. Discussion In conclusion, our results suggest that choir singing at older age is associated with a sustained enhancement of phonemic fluency, while the effects on other verbal skills and quality of life are less clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Pentikäinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lilli Kimppa
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni Pitkäniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Lahti
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Geriatric Outpatient Clinic, Rehabilitation Analysis Clinic, Seinäjoki, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Chiang HS, Lydon EA, Kraut MA, Hart J, Mudar RA. Differences in electroencephalography oscillations between normal aging and mild cognitive impairment during semantic memory retrieval. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2278-2296. [PMID: 37122187 PMCID: PMC10531984 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Semantic memory remains relatively stable with normal cognitive aging and declines in early stages of neurodegenerative disease. We measured electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory correlates of semantic memory retrieval to examine the effects of normal and pathological aging. Twenty-nine cognitively healthy young adults (YA), 22 cognitively healthy aging adults (HA) and 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) completed a semantic memory retrieval task with concurrent EEG recording in which they judged whether two words (features of objects) led to retrieval of an object (retrieval) or not (non-retrieval). Event-related power changes contrasting the two conditions (retrieval vs. non-retrieval) within theta, alpha, low-beta and high-beta EEG frequency bands were examined for normal aging (YA vs. HA) and pathological aging effects (HA vs. MCI). With no behavioural differences between the two normal age groups, we found later theta and alpha event-related power differences between conditions only in YA and a high-beta event-related power difference only in HA. For pathological aging effects, with reduced accuracy in MCI, we found different EEG patterns of early event-related beta power differences between conditions in MCI compared with HA and an event-related low-beta power difference only in HA. Beta oscillations were correlated with behavioural performance only in HA. We conclude that the aging brain relies on faster (beta) oscillations during the semantic memory task. With pathological aging, retrieval accuracy declines and pattern of beta oscillation changes. The findings provide insights about age-related neural mechanisms underlying semantic memory and have implications for early detection of pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-Sheng Chiang
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 5303 Harry Hines Blvd 8th floor, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lydon
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 901 S 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Michael A. Kraut
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University. 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - John Hart
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 5303 Harry Hines Blvd 8th floor, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Raksha A. Mudar
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 901 S 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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17
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Wen H, Dong Y. The effect of ageing on confrontation naming in healthy older adults: a three-level meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2023.2184745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wen
- Language Processing and Development Lab, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanping Dong
- Language Processing and Development Lab, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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18
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Jo E, Choi S, Sung JE. Effects of task types and time interval conditions on age-related decline in verbal working memory. Scand J Psychol 2023. [PMID: 36811168 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Age-related differences in working memory (WM) components were investigated by manipulating the time interval and interference effects between phonological and semantic judgment tasks to identify tasks to best discriminate between younger and older groups. The 96 participants (young = 48; old = 48) prospectively performed two task types of WM, with phonological and semantic judgment tasks, which were administered while varying the three interval conditions: 1-s unfilled (UF), 5-s UF, and 5-s filled (F). The main effect for age was significant in the semantic judgment task but not in the phonological judgment task. The main effect for the interval conditions were significant in both tasks. A 5-s UF condition applied to a semantic judgment task could significantly differentiate the older group from the younger group. Differential effects of time interval manipulation in semantic and phonological processing are involved in WM resources. The older group could be differentiated by varying the task types and interval conditions, indicating that the semantic-related WM burdens may contribute to a superior differential diagnosis of aging-related WM decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunha Jo
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sujin Choi
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jee Eun Sung
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
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19
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Kanishka, Jha SK. Compensatory cognition in neurological diseases and aging: A review of animal and human studies. AGING BRAIN 2023; 3:100061. [PMID: 36911258 PMCID: PMC9997140 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2022.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Specialized individual circuits in the brain are recruited for specific functions. Interestingly, multiple neural circuitries continuously compete with each other to acquire the specialized function. However, the dominant among them compete and become the central neural network for that particular function. For example, the hippocampal principal neural circuitries are the dominant networks among many which are involved in learning processes. But, in the event of damage to the principal circuitry, many times, less dominant networks compensate for the primary network. This review highlights the psychopathologies of functional loss and the aspects of functional recuperation in the absence of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanishka
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Sushil K Jha
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
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20
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Yang Y, Wang D, Hou W, Li H. Cognitive Decline Associated with Aging. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1419:25-46. [PMID: 37418204 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-1627-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive decline is one of the most distinct signs of aging, and age-related cognitive decline is a heterogeneous issue varying in different cognitive domains and has significant differences among older adults. Identifying characteristics of cognitive aging is the basis of cognitive disease for early-detection and healthy aging promotion. In the current chapter, age-related decline of main cognitive domains, including sensory perception, memory, attention, executive function, language, reasoning, and space navigation ability are introduced respectively. From these aspects of cognition, we focus on the age-related effects, age-related cognitive diseases, and possible mechanisms of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiru Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - He Li
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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21
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Georgiou E(EZ, Prapiadou S, Thomopoulos V, Skondra M, Charalampopoulou M, Pachi A, Anagnostopoulou Α, Vorvolakos T, Perneczky R, Politis A, Alexopoulos P. Naming ability assessment in neurocognitive disorders: a clinician's perspective. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:837. [PMID: 36585667 PMCID: PMC9801565 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04486-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Detecting impaired naming capacity is valuable in diagnosing neurocognitive disorders (ND). A. clinical practice- oriented overview of naming tests validated in ND is not available yet. Here, features of naming tests with validated utility in ND which are open access or available for purchase are succinctly presented and compared. METHODS Searches were carried out across Pubmed, Medline and Google Scholar. Additional studies were identified by searching reference lists. Only peer-reviewed journal articles were eligible. A narrative- and tabullar synthesis was used to summarize different aspects of the naming assessment instruments used in patients with ND such as stimuli type, administration time, assessment parameters and accessibility. Based on computational word frequency calculations, the tests were compared in terms of the average frequency of their linguistic content. RESULTS Twelve naming tests, relying either on visual or auditory stimuli have been validated in ND. Their content and administration time vary between three and 60 items and one and 20 minutes, respectively. The average frequency of the words of each considered test was two or lower, pointing to low frequency of most items. In all but one test, scoring systems are exclusively based on correctly named items. Seven instruments are open access and four are available in more than one language. CONCLUSIONS Gaining insights into naming tests' characteristics may catalyze the wide incorporation of those with short administration time but high diagnostic accuracy into the diagnostic workup of ND at primary healthcare and of extensive, visual or auditory ones into the diagnostic endeavors of memory clinics, as well as of secondary and tertiary brain healthcare settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza ( Eleni-Zacharoula) Georgiou
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Savvina Prapiadou
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Vasileios Thomopoulos
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Large-Scale Machine Learning & Cloud Data Engineering Laboratory (ML@Cloud-Lab), Faculty of Computer Engineering & Informatics, School of Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Maria Skondra
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Marina Charalampopoulou
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Asimina Pachi
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Αlexandra Anagnostopoulou
- grid.11047.330000 0004 0576 5395Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece ,General Hospital of Zakynthos “Saint Dionysios”, Zakynthos, Greece
| | - Theofanis Vorvolakos
- grid.12284.3d0000 0001 2170 8022Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Robert Perneczky
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Mental Health in Older Adults and Alzheimer Therapy and Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Ageing Epidemiology (AGE) Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.452617.3Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany ,grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Sheffield Institute for Translational Neurosciences (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Antonios Politis
- grid.5216.00000 0001 2155 0800First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, USA
| | - Panagiotis Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Patras University General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. .,Global Brain Health Institute, Medical School, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. .,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Patras Dementia Day Care Center, Corporation for Succor and Care of Elderly and Disabled - FRODIZO, Patras, Greece.
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22
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Stiver J, Staffaroni AM, Walters SM, You MY, Casaletto KB, Erlhoff SJ, Possin KL, Lukic S, La Joie R, Rabinovici GD, Zimmerman ME, Gorno-Tempini ML, Kramer JH. The Rapid Naming Test: Development and initial validation in typically aging adults. Clin Neuropsychol 2022; 36:1822-1843. [PMID: 33771087 PMCID: PMC8464629 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1900399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
ObjectiveProgressive word-finding difficulty is a primary cognitive complaint among healthy older adults and a symptom of pathological aging. Classic measures of visual confrontation naming, however, show ceiling effects among healthy older adults. To address the need for a naming test that is sensitive to subtle, age-related word-finding decline, we developed the Rapid Naming Test (RNT), a computerized, one-minute, speeded visual naming test.MethodFunctionally intact older (n = 145) and younger (n = 69) adults completed the RNT. Subsets of older adults also completed neuropsychological tests, a self-report scale of functional decline, amyloid-β PET imaging, and repeat RNT administration to determine test-retest reliability.ResultsRNT scores were normally distributed and exhibited good test-retest reliability. Younger adults performed better than older adults. Within older adults, lower scores were associated with older age. Higher scores correlated with measures of language, processing speed, and episodic learning and memory. Scores were not correlated with visuospatial or working memory tests. Worse performance was related to subjective language decline, even after controlling for a classic naming test and speed. The RNT was also negatively associated with amyloid-β burden.ConclusionsThe RNT appears to be a reliable test that is sensitive to subtle, age-related word-finding decline. Convergent and divergent validity are supported by its specific associations with measures relying on visual naming processes. Ecological validity is supported by its relationship with subjective real-world language difficulties. Lastly, worse performance was related to amyloid-β deposition, an Alzheimer's disease biomarker. This study represents a key step toward validating a novel, sensitive naming test in typically aging adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Stiver
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, New York, NY,
USA
| | - Adam M. Staffaroni
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samantha M. Walters
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Y. You
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kaitlin B. Casaletto
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sabrina J. Erlhoff
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine L. Possin
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sladjana Lukic
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Renaud La Joie
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gil D. Rabinovici
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joel H. Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, CA, USA
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Meulemans C, Leijten M, Van Waes L, Engelborghs S, De Maeyer S. Cognitive Writing Process Characteristics in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Psychol 2022; 13:872280. [PMID: 35899013 PMCID: PMC9311409 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article, we explore if the observation of writing behavior can assist in the screening and follow-up of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To this end, we examined the extent to which overall writing process measures and pausing behavior during writing differed between 15 cognitively impaired patients and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Participants completed two typed picture description tasks that were registered with Inputlog, a keystroke logging program that captures keyboard activity during text production. The following variables were analyzed with mixed-effects models: time on task; number of characters, pauses and Pause-bursts per minute; proportion of pause time; duration of Pause-bursts; and pause time between words. For pause time between words, also the effect of pauses preceding specific word categories was analyzed. Results showed a main effect of group on all variables. In addition, for pause time between words a main effect of part-of-speech was found as well. Results indicate that writing process analysis can possibly serve as a supplementary tool for the screening and follow-up of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Meulemans
- Research Foundation – Flanders, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mariëlle Leijten
- Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luuk Van Waes
- Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sven De Maeyer
- Department of Training and Education Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Norms for pictures of proper names: contrasting famous people and well-known places in younger and older adults. Behav Res Methods 2022; 55:1244-1258. [PMID: 35622238 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01823-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Proper names comprise a class of labels that arbitrarily nominate specific entities, such as people and places. Compared to common nouns, retrieving proper names is more challenging. Thus, they constitute good alternative semantic categories for psycholinguistic and neurocognitive research and intervention. The ability to retrieve proper names is known to decrease with aging. Likewise, their retrieval may differ across their different categories (e.g., people and places) given their specific associated knowledge. Therefore, proper names' stimuli require careful selection due to their high dependence on prior experiences. Notably, normative datasets for pictures of proper names are scarce and hardly have considered the influence of aging and categories. The current study established culturally adapted norms for proper names' pictures (N = 80) from an adult sample (N = 107), in psycholinguistic measures (naming and categorization scores) and evaluative dimensions (fame, familiarity, distinctiveness, arousal, and representational quality). These norms were contrasted across different categories (famous people and well-known places) and age groups (younger and older adults). Additionally, the correlations between all variables were examined. Proper names' pictures were named and categorized above chance and overall rated as familiar, famous, distinctive, and of high representational quality. Age effects were observed across all variables, except familiarity. Category effects were occasionally observed. Finally, the correlations between the psycholinguistic measures and all rated dimensions suggest the relevance of controlling for these dimensions when assessing naming abilities. The current norms provide a relevant aging-adapted dataset that is publicly available for research and intervention purposes.
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Kim S, Jang H, Choi SJ, Kim HJ, Lee JH, Kwon M. Quantitative and Qualitative Differences of Action Verbal Fluency between Young and Older Adults. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2022; 50:585-591. [PMID: 35240660 DOI: 10.1159/000519070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Action verbal fluency (AVF) task, a word fluency test, involves language and executive function and is known to be sensitive to fronto-striatal degeneration. However, the ability may also decrease qualitatively as well as quantitatively in normal aging. The objective of this study is to investigate the age-related quantitative and qualitative differences in AVF of Korean adults. METHODS We analyzed data from 78 participants of 40 young (mean age = 28.9) and 38 older adults (mean age = 67.7). The correct responses in the AVF task were measured for quantitative analysis. Qualitatively, the mean number of arguments required by each verb was calculated for syntactic analysis. For semantic analysis, we subclassified verbs according to their characteristics (e.g., moment vs. non-moment verbs/active vs. non-active verbs) and calculated the ratio for comparison. The results of AVF were also compared to those of semantic/phonemic fluency and the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K). RESULTS The older group showed quantitatively lower performance in AVF than the young group (p < 0.01). The result of the AVF task significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with both semantic/phonemic fluency and the MoCA-K. Also, the older group produced syntactically more simple verbs than the counterpart (p < 0.01). In the semantic analysis, the older group produced fewer moment verbs (p < 0.05) but more non-moment verbs (p < 0.05) than the young group. There was no difference in active or non-active verbs between two groups. CONCLUSION These results indicated that the ability of AVF declines with age not only quantitatively but also qualitatively in relation to their cognitive changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soomin Kim
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuna Jang
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sou Jin Choi
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Ji Kim
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hong Lee
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Miseon Kwon
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Alantie S, Tyrkkö J, Makkonen T, Renvall K. Is Old Age Just a Number in Language Skills? Language Performance and Its Relation to Age, Education, Gender, Cognitive Screening, and Dentition in Very Old Finnish Speakers. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:274-291. [PMID: 34929110 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study reports on how very old (VO) Finnish people without dementia perform in the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and two verbal fluency tasks and which demographic factors predict the performance. METHOD The study included fifty 80- to 100-year-old community-dwelling Finnish speakers with no dementing illnesses or speech-language disabilities, who completed the WAB and two verbal fluency tasks. Multifactorial statistical analyses with recursive partitioning were carried out to determine the significant predictors out of five predictor variables (age, gender, education, dentition, and Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) for four response variables (WAB Aphasia Quotient [AQ], Language Quotient [LQ], semantic, and phonemic word fluencies). RESULTS Overall, individual variation was notable in VO speakers. All predictor variables were statistically significantly associated with one or more of the language skills. Age was the most significant predictor; the critical age of 85-86 years was associated with a decline in WAB-AQ and semantic fluency. Poor dentition and the MMSE score both predicted a decline in WAB-LQ and phonemic fluency. A high level of education was positively associated with the skills of the best-performing individuals in WAB-AQ, WAB-LQ, and semantic fluency. CONCLUSIONS VO age is a significant factor contributing to language performance. However, a younger age, a good cognitive performance, intact teeth, and a higher educational level also seem to have a preservative power as regards language skills. Gender differences should be interpreted with caution. The results of this study provide culture- and language-specific normative data, which aids in differentiating typical aging from the signs of acute or degenerative neuropathology to ensure appropriate medical and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Alantie
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Speech-Language Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
| | - Jukka Tyrkkö
- Department of Languages, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
| | - Tanja Makkonen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Speech-Language Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
| | - Kati Renvall
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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OUP accepted manuscript. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2022; 37:1601-1607. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Chen PY, Chen CL, Tseng HM, Hsu YC, Huang CWC, Chan WP, Tseng WYI. Differential Associations of White Matter Brain Age With Language-Related Mechanisms in Word-Finding Ability Across the Adult Lifespan. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:701565. [PMID: 34539378 PMCID: PMC8446673 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.701565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on cognitive aging has established that word-finding ability declines progressively in late adulthood, whereas semantic mechanism in the language system is relatively stable. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of word-finding ability and language-related components with brain aging status, which was quantified by using the brain age paradigm. A total of 616 healthy participants aged 18–88 years from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience databank were recruited. The picture-naming task was used to test the participants’ language-related word retrieval ability through word-finding and word-generation processes. The naming response time (RT) and accuracy were measured under a baseline condition and two priming conditions, namely phonological and semantic priming. To estimate brain age, we established a brain age prediction model based on white matter (WM) features and estimated the modality-specific predicted age difference (PAD). Mass partial correlation analyses were performed to test the associations of WM-PAD with the cognitive performance measures under the baseline and two priming conditions. We observed that the domain-specific language WM-PAD and domain-general WM-PAD were significantly correlated with general word-finding ability. The phonological mechanism, not the semantic mechanism, in word-finding ability was significantly correlated with the domain-specific WM-PAD. In contrast, all behavioral measures of the conditions in the picture priming task were significantly associated with chronological age. The results suggest that chronological aging and WM aging have differential effects on language-related word retrieval functions, and support that cognitive alterations in word-finding functions involve not only the domain-specific processing within the frontotemporal language network but also the domain-general processing of executive functions in the fronto-parieto-occipital (or multi-demand) network. The findings further indicate that the phonological aspect of word retrieval ability declines as cerebral WM ages, whereas the semantic aspect is relatively resilient or unrelated to WM aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Yu Chen
- Molecular Imaging Centre, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Le Chen
- Molecular Imaging Centre, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ming Tseng
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Chi-Wen Christina Huang
- Department of Radiology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wing P Chan
- Department of Radiology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih I Tseng
- Molecular Imaging Centre, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
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Szepietowska EM, Filipiak S. Interpretation of familiar metaphors and proverbs by Polish people in middle and late adulthood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2021; 56:841-857. [PMID: 34121295 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to understand figurative language, including metaphors and proverbs, decreases with age, although the phenomenon is not universal. Cognitive capacities and education play an important role in the competence connected with figurative language use and comprehension in people during the second half of life. AIMS To identify possible similarities and differences in task performance by subjects representing middle adulthood (40-49 and 50-59 years old) and late adulthood (60-69 and 70-92 years old). Additionally, the analyses took into account factors significantly affecting the results, that is, tasks type (metaphors versus proverbs), the way the answer is given (open-ended versus multiple choice) and types of answers (abstract and concrete). This study also aimed to identify some cognitive correlates of task completion. METHODS & PROCEDURES A total of 86 Caucasian subjects, aged 40-92 years, participated in this study (Mwhole group = 62.37, SD = 15.53); the group included 20 subjects aged 40-49 years (Mage = 45.4; SD = 3.05), 20 aged 50-59 years (Mage = 55.50; SD = 2.64), 20 aged 60-69 years (Mage = 64.40; SD = 2.78), and 26 aged 70-92 years (Mage = 79.15; SD = 6.27). A total of 20 well-known Polish metaphors and 20 popular Polish proverbs were used to assess the level of proverb and metaphor comprehension. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale and Vocabulary subtest of the Polish version of WAIS-R were applied to assess the cognitive functions. OUTCOMES & RESULTS The results of the analyses suggest that there are differences as well as certain similarities between the groups. At 70+ years of age, the ability to explain and comprehend metaphors and proverbs decreases when compared with younger adults. In the 70+ group, the ability to grasp the meaning of both metaphors and proverbs is similar, unlike in the younger groups which present a better ability to explain and comprehend metaphors than proverbs. The conditions related to the types of tasks, that is, spontaneous interpretation and choice of responses, do not affect scores of the oldest subjects. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of response types, that is, abstract versus concrete, shows that, compared with younger groups, people aged 70+ years tend to less frequently provide abstract explanations and more often give concrete (but correct) responses, referring to situational data or examples from everyday life. Moreover, attention, short-term/delayed memory and lexical reserve influence the ability to use and comprehend figurative language to a varied degree. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject Studies focusing on metaphor and proverb interpretation by people in middle and late adulthood are rather scarce, and what is more, they provide inconclusive results. Research has shown that the capacities related to attention and memory, as well as language resources and executive functions, all deteriorate in older people, which negatively affects their ability to understand metaphors and proverbs. However, varied methods are applied to assess these skills, which may explain why the related findings are inconsistent. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the analyses took into account the type of task (metaphors versus proverbs), the method of responding (open-ended versus multiple-choice) and the nature of the answer (abstract versus concrete). This allowed us to highlight intergroup differences and to show specific characteristics of proverb and metaphor spontaneous interpretation and choice of correct answers. The results were compared among the participants representing relatively narrow age ranges classified as middle and late adulthood. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Analysis of how people in middle and late adulthood interpret metaphors and proverbs might constitute an element of preliminary screening assessment showing whether a decrease in this capacity is in the normal range or if it reflects a serious cognitive decline. It would be worthwhile if the diagnostic process included varied task designs, that is, both metaphors and proverbs, as well as spontaneous interpretation and multiple-choice, as well as varied types of responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Małgorzata Szepietowska
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Sara Filipiak
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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Haitas N, Amiri M, Wilson M, Joanette Y, Steffener J. Age-preserved semantic memory and the CRUNCH effect manifested as differential semantic control networks: An fMRI study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249948. [PMID: 34129605 PMCID: PMC8205163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Semantic memory representations are overall well-maintained in aging whereas semantic control is thought to be more affected. To explain this phenomenon, this study aims to test the predictions of the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) focusing on task demands in aging as a possible framework. The CRUNCH effect would manifest itself in semantic tasks through a compensatory increase in neural activation in semantic control network regions but only up to a certain threshold of task demands. This study will compare 40 young (20-35 years old) with 40 older participants (60-75 years old) in a triad-based semantic judgment task performed in an fMRI scanner while manipulating levels of task demands (low vs. high) through semantic distance. In line with the CRUNCH predictions, differences in neurofunctional activation and behavioral performance (accuracy and response times) are expected in young vs. old participants in the low- vs. high-demand conditions manifested in semantic control Regions of Interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niobe Haitas
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mahnoush Amiri
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maximiliano Wilson
- Centre de Recherche CERVO – CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale et Département de Réadaptation, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Laboratory of Communication and Aging, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jason Steffener
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Hirsch JA, Cuesta GM, Fonzetti P, Comaty J, Jordan BD, Cirio R, Levin L, Abrahams A, Fry KM. Expanded Exploration of the Auditory Naming Test in Patients with Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 81:1763-1779. [PMID: 33998546 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory naming tests are superior to visual confrontation naming tests in revealing word-finding difficulties in many neuropathological conditions. OBJECTIVE To delineate characteristics of auditory naming most likely to reveal anomia in patients with dementia, and possibly improve diagnostic utility, we evaluated a large sample of patients referred with memory impairment complaints. METHODS Patients with dementia (N = 733) or other cognitive impairments and normal individuals (N = 69) were evaluated for frequency of impairment on variables of the Auditory Naming Test (ANT) of Hamberger & Seidel versus the Boston Naming Test (BNT). RESULTS Naming impairment occurred more frequently using the ANT total score (φ= 0.41) or ANT tip-of-the tongue score (TOT; φ= 0.19) but not ANT mean response time compared to the BNT in patients with dementia (p < 0.001). Significantly more patients were impaired on ANT variables than on the BNT in Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), mixed AD/VaD, and multiple domain mild cognitive impairment (mMCI) but not in other dementias or amnestic MCI (aMCI). This differential performance of patients on auditory versus visual naming tasks was most pronounced in older, well-educated, male patients with the least cognitive impairment. Impaired verbal comprehension was not contributory. Inclusion of an ANT index score increased sensitivity in the dementia sample (92%). Poor specificity (41%) may be secondary to the inherent limitation of using the BNT as a control variable. CONCLUSION The ANT index score adds diagnostic utility to the assessment of naming difficulties in patients with suspected dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Hirsch
- Department of Psychiatry, Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, NY, USA
| | - George M Cuesta
- New York Harbor Healthcare System, Veterans Health Administration, New York, NY, USA.,New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Barry D Jordan
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital, Downey, CA, USA
| | | | - Leanne Levin
- New York Medical College, Department of Medicine, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M Fry
- George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Psychology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Edgcumbe DR. Age Differences in Open-Mindedness: From 18 to 87-Years of Age. Exp Aging Res 2021; 48:24-41. [PMID: 34030607 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2021.1923330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As health care improves and more people work into later age, it is important to understand what impacts open-mindedness has on decision-making. This paper examined the role of aging on open-mindedness. METHODS Open-mindedness was measured across 12 studies before data amalgamation. The Actively Open-minded Thinking (AOT) scale and Actively Open-minded Thinking about Evidence (AOT-e) scale measured open-mindedness in this sample (n = 9010) of participants between 18 and 87-years of age. RESULTS Summary AOT positively correlated with AOT-e (r = 0.27). For two subfactors derived from factor analysis based on the AOT, scores for both subfactors positively correlated with AOT-e (subfactor-1: r = 0.17/subfactor-2: r = 0.31) but negatively correlated with age (subfactor-1: r = -0.01/subfactor-2: r = -0.16). Age negatively correlated with both AOT (r = -0.11) and AOT-e (r = -0.13). Regressions revealed that open-mindedness decreased with aging. Age marginally predicted the change in open-mindedness, and sex differences were not a predictor. CONCLUSION It is proposed that the observed differences are the result of a reluctance to change long-established values and ideas at the cognitive level and cortical changes that occur with aging. In an aging population where more adults work into later age, the decrease in open-mindedness could influence many areas of judgments of decision-making. Importantly, this demonstrates that open-mindedness varies across lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Edgcumbe
- Department of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Newman University, Birmingham, UK
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Strategies and cognitive reserve to preserve lexical production in aging. GeroScience 2021; 43:1725-1765. [PMID: 33970414 PMCID: PMC8492841 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00367-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of any neuropsychiatric condition, older adults may show declining performance in several cognitive processes and among them, in retrieving and producing words, reflected in slower responses and even reduced accuracy compared to younger adults. To overcome this difficulty, healthy older adults implement compensatory strategies, which are the focus of this paper. We provide a review of mainstream findings on deficient mechanisms and possible neurocognitive strategies used by older adults to overcome the deleterious effects of age on lexical production. Moreover, we present findings on genetic and lifestyle factors that might either be protective or risk factors of cognitive impairment in advanced age. We propose that "aging-modulating factors" (AMF) can be modified, offering prevention opportunities against aging effects. Based on our review and this proposition, we introduce an integrative neurocognitive model of mechanisms and compensatory strategies for lexical production in older adults (entitled Lexical Access and Retrieval in Aging, LARA). The main hypothesis defended in LARA is that cognitive aging evolves heterogeneously and involves complementary domain-general and domain-specific mechanisms, with substantial inter-individual variability, reflected at behavioral, cognitive, and brain levels. Furthermore, we argue that the ability to compensate for the effect of cognitive aging depends on the amount of reserve specific to each individual which is, in turn, modulated by the AMF. Our conclusion is that a variety of mechanisms and compensatory strategies coexist in the same individual to oppose the effect of age. The role of reserve is pivotal for a successful coping with age-related changes and future research should continue to explore the modulating role of AMF.
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Weiss Lucas C, Pieczewski J, Kochs S, Nettekoven C, Grefkes C, Goldbrunner R, Jonas K. The Cologne Picture Naming Test for Language Mapping and Monitoring (CoNaT): An Open Set of 100 Black and White Object Drawings. Front Neurol 2021; 12:633068. [PMID: 33746888 PMCID: PMC7966504 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.633068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Language assessment using a picture naming task crucially relies on the interpretation of the given verbal response by the rater. To avoid misinterpretations, a language-specific and linguistically controlled set of unambiguous, clearly identifiable and common object-word pairs is mandatory. We, here, set out to provide an open-source set of black and white object drawings, particularly suited for language mapping and monitoring, e.g., during awake brain tumour surgery or transcranial magnetic stimulation, in German language. A refined set of 100 black and white drawings was tested in two consecutive runs of randomised picture order and was analysed in respect of correct, prompt, and reliable object recognition and naming in a series of 132 healthy subjects between 18 and 84 years (median 25 years, 64% females) and a clinical pilot cohort of 10 brain tumour patients (median age 47 years, 80% males). The influence of important word- and subject-related factors on task performance and reliability was investigated. Overall, across both healthy subjects and patients, excellent correct object naming rates (97 vs. 96%) as well as high reliability coefficients (Goodman-Kruskal's gamma = 0.95 vs. 0.86) were found. However, the analysis of variance revealed a significant, overall negative effect of low word frequency (p < 0.05) and high age (p < 0.0001) on task performance whereas the effect of a low educational level was only evident for the subgroup of 72 or more years of age (p < 0.05). Moreover, a small learning effect was observed across the two runs of the test (p < 0.001). In summary, this study provides an overall robust and reliable picture naming tool, optimised for the clinical use to map and monitor language functions in patients. However, individual familiarisation before the clinical use remains advisable, especially for subjects that are comparatively prone to spontaneous picture naming errors such as older subjects of low educational level and patients with clinically apparent word finding difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Weiss Lucas
- Center for Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Pieczewski
- Center for Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sophia Kochs
- Center for Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Charlotte Nettekoven
- Center for Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Grefkes
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Roland Goldbrunner
- Center for Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kristina Jonas
- Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Verst SM, de Castro I, Scappini-Junior W, de Melo MN, de Oliveira JR, de Almeida SS, Alvarez NRC, Sucena ACB, Barros MR, Marrone CD, Maldaun MVC. Methodology for creating and validating object naming and semantic tests used by Verst-Maldaun Language Assessment during awake craniotomies. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2021; 202:106485. [PMID: 33476885 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Verst-Maldaun Language Assessment (VMLA) is a new intraoperative neuropsychological test (NT) within our local culture, e.g., native Portuguese speaking Brazilians. It aims to fill the specific need of an objective and dynamic approach for assessing the language network during awake craniotomies. The test includes object naming (ON) and semantic functions. This paper describes the process of validation, allowing for other centers to create their own language assessment. The validation process included 248 volunteers and the results were associated with age, gender and educational level (EL). The factor with the greatest impact was EL, followed by age. Intraoperative image learning by repetition is unlikely, since it is composed of 388 items and 70 combinations. The test will be available for free use under http://www.vemotests.com/ (beginning in February 2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mazzali Verst
- Brain Spine Neurophysiologia, Intraoperative Neurophysiology at Hospital Sirio Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil; Rua Barão de Teffé, 1000 sala 55, Jundiai, SP 13208-761, Brazil.
| | - Isac de Castro
- Neuromuscular Diseases Sector, Department of Neurology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Wilson Scappini-Junior
- Brain Spine Neurofisiologia, Rua Barão de Teffé, 1000 sala 55, Jundiai, SP 13208-761, Brazil.
| | - Mônica Nascimento de Melo
- Brain Spine Neurofisiologia, Rua dos Salgueiros, QD 09 lote 03, Jardins Valência Goiânia, GO 74885-860, Brazil.
| | - Jean Ramos de Oliveira
- Brain Spine Neurofisiologia, Rua Elzira Sammarco Palma, 405/242, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14021-684, Brazil.
| | - Soraya Soares de Almeida
- Brain Spine Neurofisiologia, Rua Antônio Muniz, 182, Pontalzinho, Itabuna, BA 45603-023, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Maria Rufina Barros
- Vitória Apart Hospital, Rodovia Mário Covas, 591 Sala 113-B, Bairro Boa Vista 1, Vitória, ES, 29161-001, Brazil.
| | - Carlo Domenico Marrone
- Clinica Marrone, Av. Túlio de Rose, 400 apto 501 Torre E Porto, Alegre, RS 91340-110, Brazil.
| | - Marcos Vinicius Calfat Maldaun
- Neuro-Oncology postgraduate course at Sirio Libanês Hospital, São Paulo, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 414, cj 63, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil.
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Ferré P, Jarret J, Brambati S, Bellec P, Joanette Y. Functional Connectivity of Successful Picture-Naming: Age-Specific Organization and the Effect of Engaging in Stimulating Activities. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:535770. [PMID: 33250759 PMCID: PMC7674930 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.535770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a lifelong process that starts at birth. Throughout the course of their life, individuals are exposed to various levels of stimulating activities. A higher level of engagement in such activities is suspected to protect against the normal course of cognitive aging or the cognitive manifestations of age-related brain diseases. However, the exact mechanism underlying such protective action remains unclear. The concept of the neurocognitive reserve was introduced to refer to the hypothesis that engagement in stimulating activities shapes brain structure and function, thus indirectly allowing for better preserved cognitive abilities. Although it is known that word production is among the best-preserved cognitive abilities in aging, the underlying neurofunctional mechanisms that allow this relative preservation are still unknown, and it is still unclear how engagement in stimulating activities affects these processes. The objective of this study is to describe the brain functional connectivity patterns associated with picture-naming abilities in younger and older adults with varying levels of engagement in stimulating activities, as a proxy for neurocognitive reserve. A mediation analysis was applied to determine whether the association between reserve proxies and naming accuracy is dependent on task FC. Results show that naming accuracy depends on the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) functional decoupling in both younger and older adults but through different pathways. While high-performing older adults rely on the asynchronization of this area from motor speech regions’ activity, the best-performing younger adults rely on the functional decoupling with language-related regions. Mediation analysis reveals that the PCC decoupling mediates the relationship between the level of engagement in stimulating activities and naming accuracy in younger adults, but not in older adults. These findings suggest that reserve-related mechanisms may be more critical for naming in early adult life, while older adults’ neurofunctional organization may benefit more from a lifetime of acquired knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Ferré
- Centre de Recherche de l’institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Perrine Ferré
| | - Julien Jarret
- Centre de Recherche de l’institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simona Brambati
- Centre de Recherche de l’institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Bellec
- Centre de Recherche de l’institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Centre de Recherche de l’institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Age-related differences in the neural bases of phonological and semantic processes in the context of task-irrelevant information. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:829-844. [PMID: 30488226 PMCID: PMC6538491 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-00671-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
As we age we have increasing difficulty with phonological aspects of language production. Yet semantic processes are largely stable across the life span. This suggests a fundamental difference in the cognitive and potentially neural architecture supporting these systems. Moreover, language processes such as these interact with other cognitive processes that also show age-related decline, such as executive function and inhibition. The present study examined phonological and semantic processes in the presence of task-irrelevant information to examine the influence of such material on language production. Older and younger adults made phonological and semantic decisions about pictures in the presence of either phonologically or semantically related words, which were unrelated to the task. FMRI activation during the semantic condition showed that all adults engaged typical left-hemisphere language regions, and that this activation was positively correlated with efficiency across all adults. In contrast, the phonological condition elicited activation in bilateral precuneus and cingulate, with no clear brain-behavior relationship. Similarly, older adults exhibited greater activation than younger adults in several regions that were unrelated to behavioral performance. Our results suggest that as we age, brain-behavior relations decline, and there is an increased reliance on both language-specific and domain-general brain regions that are seen most prominently during phonological processing. In contrast, the core semantic system continues to be engaged throughout the life span, even in the presence of task-irrelevant information.
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Kim H, Wright HH. Concurrent Validity and Reliability of the Core Lexicon Measure as a Measure of Word Retrieval Ability in Aphasia Narratives. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 29:101-110. [PMID: 31693384 PMCID: PMC7231912 DOI: 10.1044/2019_ajslp-19-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Purpose General agreement exists in the literature that clinicians struggle with quantifying discourse-level performance in clinical settings. Core lexicon analysis has gained recent attention as an alternative tool that may address difficulties that clinicians face. Although previous studies have demonstrated that core lexicon measures are an efficient means of assessing discourse in persons with aphasia (PWAs), the psychometric properties of core lexicon measures have yet to be investigated. The purpose of this study was (a) to examine the concurrent validity by using microlinguistic and macrolinguistic measures and (b) to demonstrate interrater reliability without transcription by raters with minimal training. Method Eleven language samples collected from PWAs were used in this study. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating performance on the core lexicon measure with microlinguistic and macrolinguistic measures. For interrater reliability, 4 raters used the core lexicon checklists to score audio-recorded discourse samples from 10 PWAs. Results The core lexicon measures significantly correlated with microlinguistic and macrolinguistic measures. Acceptable interrater reliability was obtained among the 4 raters. Conclusions Core lexicon analysis is potentially useful for measuring word retrieval impairments at the discourse level. It may also be a feasible solution because it reduces the amount of preparatory work for discourse assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Kim
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Heather Harris Wright
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
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Itaguchi Y, Yamada C, Fukuzawa K. Writing in the air: Facilitative effects of finger writing in older adults. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226832. [PMID: 31881067 PMCID: PMC6934278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Kūsho, which refers to a behavior in which one moves the index finger as a substitute for a pen in the air or on a surface, mostly used when trying to recall the shape of a written character or the spelling of a word, has been known to facilitate cognitive task performance among kanji writing-system users. This study investigates whether the facilitative effect of kūsho, the existence of which has been exclusively confirmed in younger adults, is present in old age. Moreover, to further understand the interaction between finger movement and cognitive processing, we analyzed the correlation between the kūsho effect and factors such as age, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, and number of years of education. The kūsho effect was assessed by a task where participants mentally assembled a set of kanji subparts to form an actual character. The results showed a significant facilitative effect of kūsho and a strong negative correlation between kūsho effect and education. This study confirms the benefits of finger movement for solving cognitive tasks involving visual processing of written language among older adults and suggests the kūsho effect may be mediated by education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Itaguchi
- Department of Computer Science, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiharu Yamada
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Gordon JK, Andersen K, Perez G, Finnegan E. How Old Do You Think I Am? Speech-Language Predictors of Perceived Age and Communicative Competence. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:2455-2472. [PMID: 31265362 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-19-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Spoken language serves as a primary means of social interaction, but speech and language skills change with age, a potential source of age-related stereotyping. The goals of this study were to examine how accurately age could be estimated from language samples, to determine which speech and language cues were most informative, and to assess the impact of perceived age on judgments of the speakers' communication skills. Method We analyzed narratives from 84 speakers aged 30-89 years to identify age-related differences and compared these differences to factors affecting perceptions of age and communicative competence. Three groups of raters estimated the speakers' ages and judged the quality of their communication: 44 listeners listened to audio-recorded narratives, 51 readers read transcripts of the narratives, and 24 voice raters listened to 10-s samples of speech extracted from one of the narratives. Results Older speakers spoke more slowly but showed minimal linguistic differences compared to younger speakers. Speakers' ages were estimated quite accurately, even from 10-s samples. Estimates were largely based on cues available in the acoustic signal-speech rate and vocal characteristics-so listeners were more accurate than readers. However, an overreliance on these cues also contributed to overestimates of speakers' ages. Communication ratings were not strongly related to perceived age but were influenced by various aspects of speech and language. In particular, speakers who produced longer narratives and spoke more quickly were judged to be better communicators. Conclusion Speakers tend to be judged on relatively superficial aspects of spoken language, in part because age-related change is most evident at these levels. Implications of these findings for age-related theories of stereotyping and speech-language intervention are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean K Gordon
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- DeLTA Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Kim Andersen
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Gabriella Perez
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Eileen Finnegan
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City
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Higby E, Cahana-Amitay D, Vogel-Eyny A, Spiro A, Albert ML, Obler LK. The Role of Executive Functions in Object- and Action-Naming among Older Adults. Exp Aging Res 2019; 45:306-330. [PMID: 31216948 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2019.1627492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Background/Study Context: Lexical retrieval abilities and executive function skills decline with age. The extent to which these processes might be interdependent remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to examine whether individual differences in three executive functions (shifting, fluency, and inhibition) predicted naming performance in older adults. Methods: The sample included 264 adults aged 55-84. Six measures of executive functions were combined to make three executive function composites scores. Lexical retrieval performance was measured by accuracy and response time on two tasks: object naming and action naming. We conducted a series of multiple regressions to test whether executive function performance predicts naming abilities in older adults. Results: We found that different executive functions predicted naming speed and accuracy. Shifting predicted naming accuracy for both object and action naming while fluency predicted response times on both tests as well as object naming accuracy, after controlling for education, gender, age, working memory span, and speed of processing in all regressions. Interestingly, inhibition did not contribute to naming accuracy or response times on either task. Conclusion: The findings support the notion that preservation of some executive functions contributes to successful naming in older adults and that different executive functions are associated with naming speed and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Higby
- a Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences , California State University , East Bay, Hayward , CA , USA.,b Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
| | - Dalia Cahana-Amitay
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA
| | - Amy Vogel-Eyny
- e Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY
| | - Avron Spiro
- d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA.,f Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health , Boston University , Boston , MA.,g Department of Psychiatry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA
| | - Martin L Albert
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA
| | - Loraine K Obler
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA.,e Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY
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Madden DL, Sale MV, Robinson GA. Differentiating Beyond Name Agreement for Picture Naming: Insight From Age-Related Selection Deficits. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:1373-1380. [PMID: 31021678 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Pictures consistently referred to by the same name (high agreement) are named faster than pictures that elicit inconsistent responses across individuals (low agreement). Although this effect is more pronounced in older adults apparently due to slower lexical selection, it is unclear whether this is consistent for different types of low agreement pictures. We investigated whether pictures with different sources of disagreement have differing selection requirements, as indexed by naming latencies. Method Picture naming latencies were compared for 20 young (ages 18-35 years) and 20 older adults (ages 60-80 years) across 3 object naming conditions: high name agreement, low name agreement due to multiple correct names, and low agreement due to abbreviations and elaborations. Results Compared to high agreement items, responses were slower specifically for low agreement items with multiple names, and to a lesser extent, items with abbreviations and elaborations ( p < .001). Older adults were slower than younger adults, especially for low agreement items with abbreviations and elaborations ( p = .031). Conclusions Our findings indicate differential lexical selection requirements for low agreement pictures, depending on the reason for agreement being low. This demonstrates the importance of differentiating the source of disagreement in any experimental or clinical assessment of picture naming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Madden
- Neuropsychology Research Clinic, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martin V Sale
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Gail A Robinson
- Neuropsychology Research Clinic, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, Australia
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Ferré P, Benhajali Y, Steffener J, Stern Y, Joanette Y, Bellec P. Resting-state and Vocabulary Tasks Distinctively Inform On Age-Related Differences in the Functional Brain Connectome. LANGUAGE, COGNITION AND NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 34:949-972. [PMID: 31457069 PMCID: PMC6711486 DOI: 10.1080/23273798.2019.1608072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Most of the current knowledge about age-related differences in brain neurofunctional organization stems from neuroimaging studies using either a "resting state" paradigm, or cognitive tasks for which performance decreases with age. However, it remains to be known if comparable age-related differences are found when participants engage in cognitive activities for which performance is maintained with age, such as vocabulary knowledge tasks. A functional connectivity analysis was performed on 286 adults ranging from 18 to 80 years old, based either on a resting state paradigm or when engaged in vocabulary tasks. Notable increases in connectivity of regions of the language network were observed during task completion. Conversely, only age-related decreases were observed across the whole connectome during resting-state. While vocabulary accuracy increased with age, no interaction was found between functional connectivity, age and task accuracy or proxies of cognitive reserve, suggesting that older individuals typically benefits from semantic knowledge accumulated throughout one's life trajectory, without the need for compensatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Ferré
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary Road, Montréal, Qc, H3W 1W3, CANADA
| | - Yassine Benhajali
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary Road, Montréal, Qc, H3W 1W3, CANADA
| | - Jason Steffener
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary Road, Montréal, Qc, H3W 1W3, CANADA
- PERFORM Center, Concordia University
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 200 Lees, Lees Campus, Office # E-250C, Ottawa, Ontario. K1S 5S9, CANADA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Columbia University, 710 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yves Joanette
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary Road, Montréal, Qc, H3W 1W3, CANADA
| | - Pierre Bellec
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary Road, Montréal, Qc, H3W 1W3, CANADA
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Kim H, Kintz S, Zelnosky K, Wright HH. Measuring word retrieval in narrative discourse: core lexicon in aphasia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2019; 54:62-78. [PMID: 30426603 PMCID: PMC6661895 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discourse analysis procedures are time consuming and impractical in a clinical setting. Critical to clinicians are simple and informative discourse measures that require minimal time and labour to complete. Many studies, however, have overlooked difficulties that clinicians face. We recently developed core lexicon lists for nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for two narrative discourse tasks with healthy control groups. Core lexicon lists consist of important lexical items required to produce coherently meaningful discourse in response to discourse tasks. Measuring core lexicon is useful for quantifying word retrieval impairments at the discourse level in clinical populations. AIMS To apply an age-based core lexicon list for nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for the wordless picture books Good Dog Carl (1985) and Picnic (1984) and to determine how well the lists measured linguistic impairments in persons with aphasia (PWA). MATERIALS & METHODS Lemma forms were extracted from 470 control participants who were divided into seven age groups. Twenty-five core lexicons were identified for four word classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs) among the seven age groups. The nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for each PWA (N = 11) were then compared with the core lexicon for their respective age group. Per cent agreement was computed by comparing the number of total items within each list to the number of items that PWA produced. A Spearman's correlation coefficient was computed between the WAB-R AQ and the per cent agreement for each word type for PWA. OUTCOMES & RESULTS The percentage of agreement for each word type among the age cohorts ranged between 56% and 96%. Of the four word types, core verbs significantly correlated with the WAB AQs for both discourse tasks. A post-hoc analysis found significant differences between fluent and non-fluent aphasia for core verbs. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Core lexicon analysis appears to be a practical way to capture impairments in word retrieval at the discourse level. Core verbs may be a better indicator to understand holistic language performances for PWA. Use of the core lexicon checklist can serve as an option to reconcile ecological validity with clinical usability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Kim
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Stephen Kintz
- Department of Audiology & Speech Pathology, University of Arkansas—Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Kristen Zelnosky
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Radford University, Radford, VA, USA
| | - Heather Harris Wright
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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Román-Caballero R, Arnedo M, Triviño M, Lupiáñez J. Musical practice as an enhancer of cognitive function in healthy aging - A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207957. [PMID: 30481227 PMCID: PMC6258526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by cognitive decline, although recent research indicates that the rate of decline depends on multiple lifestyle factors. One of such factors is musical practice, an activity that involves several sensory and motor systems and a wide range of high-level cognitive processes. This paper describes the first systematic review and meta-analysis, to our knowledge, of the impact of musical practice on healthy neurocognitive aging. The inclusion criteria for the review required that studies were empirical works in English or Spanish that they explored the effects of musical practice on older people; they included an assessment of cognitive functions and/or an assessment of brain status; and they included a sample of participants aged 59 years or older with no cognitive impairment or brain damage. This review led to the selection of 13 studies: 9 correlational studies involving older musicians and non-musicians and 4 experimental studies involving short-term musical training programs. The results of the meta-analysis showed cognitive and cerebral benefits of musical practice, both in domain-specific functions (auditory perception) and in other rather domain-general functions. Moreover, these benefits seem to protect cognitive domains that usually decline with aging and boost other domains that do not decline with aging. The origin of these benefits may reside, simultaneously, in the specific training of many of these cognitive functions during musical practice (specific training mechanism), in the improvement of compensatory cognitive processes (specific compensatory mechanism), and in the preservation of general functions with a global influence on others, such as perceptual capacity, processing speed, inhibition and attention (general compensatory mechanism). Therefore, musical practice seems to be a promising tool to reduce the impact of cognitive problems associated to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Román-Caballero
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Marisa Arnedo
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Mónica Triviño
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- San Rafael University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Lupiáñez
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Lorenz A, Zwitserlood P, Regel S, Abdel Rahman R. Age-related effects in compound production: Evidence from a double-object picture naming task. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:1667-1681. [DOI: 10.1177/1747021818806491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated effects of healthy ageing and of non-verbal attentional control on speech production. Young and older speakers participated in a picture-word interference (PWI) task with compound targets. To increase the processing load, the two pictures of the compounds’ constituents were presented side-by-side for spoken naming (e.g., a picture of a sun + a picture of a flower to be named with sunflower). Written distractors either corresponded to the first or second constituent ( sun or flower → sunflower), or were semantically related either to the first constituent of the target ( moon → sunflower) or to the second constituent/whole word ( tulip → sunflower). Morpho-phonological facilitation was obtained for both constituents, whereas semantic interference was restricted to first-constituent-related semantic distractors. Furthermore, a trend towards facilitation was obtained for distractors that were semantically related to the whole word. Older speakers were slower and produced more errors than young speakers. While morphological effects of first-constituent distractors were stronger for the elderly, the semantic effects were not affected by age. Non-verbal attentional control processes, measured in the Simon task, significantly contributed to morpho-phonological priming in the elderly, but they did not affect semantic interference or semantic facilitation. With a picture naming task that increases the semantic and lexical processing load, we corroborate earlier evidence that word-finding difficulties in the elderly result from deficient phonological encoding, whereas lexical-semantic and morpho-phonological representations remain stable with age.
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Laloyaux J, Della Libera C, Larøi F. Source flexibility in schizophrenia: specificity and role in auditory hallucinations. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2018; 23:393-407. [PMID: 30289058 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2018.1530648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION One important aspect of human cognition relies on the ability to bias attention towards stimulus-independent and stimulus-oriented thoughts and to switch between these states - or source flexibility. This mechanism has received very little attention in the literature, and in particular in schizophrenia. Moreover, there is good reason to believe that this mechanism could also be implicated in hallucinations, but this hypothesis has never been examined. Thus, the aim of the present study was, for the first time in the literature, to explore source flexibility abilities in schizophrenia and their potential relations with auditory hallucinations. METHODS Forty persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls were evaluated with tasks assessing source flexibility, cognitive flexibility and processing speed. Patients were also assessed with a measure of hallucinations and delusions. RESULTS Results revealed that persons diagnosed with schizophrenia presented a poorer performance than healthy controls for source flexibility. Moreover, results demonstrated that source flexibility performance could not be explained by a more general impairment of processing speed or buy difficulties in cognitive flexibility. Finally, source flexibility was found to be related to hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS Source flexibility plays an important role in schizophrenia and in particular is a cognitive mechanism involved in hallucinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Laloyaux
- a Department of Biological and Medical Psychology , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.,b NORMENT - Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.,c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit , University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| | - Clara Della Libera
- c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit , University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| | - Frank Larøi
- a Department of Biological and Medical Psychology , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.,b NORMENT - Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.,c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit , University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
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Lorenz A, Regel S, Zwitserlood P, Rahman RA. Age-related effects in compound production: Intact lexical representations but more effortful encoding. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2018; 191:289-309. [PMID: 30404741 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of nominal compounds in the presence of morphological, semantic, and unrelated distractor words (picture-word interference paradigm) was investigated in young (M = 27 years) and older (M = 70.5 years) German speakers to test models of speech production and lexical representation. Constituent distractors of compound targets (lip or stick for the target LIPSTICK) speeded compound naming, while naming was slowed by distractors that were categorically related to the compound as a whole (powder → LIPSTICK). Furthermore, no effects were obtained for distractors from the same category as the first constituent of compound targets in picture-naming latencies (toe → LIPSTICK). These effects were present in both age groups and indicate that compounds are stored holistically at the lemma level, and as morphemes at the word-form level, unaffected by age. Main effects of age revealed overall slower picture naming and less accurate responses in the elderly. Furthermore, older speakers showed stronger morphological facilitation, while semantic distractor effects were unaffected by age. In a non-verbal attentional control task (Simon task), older speakers were slower overall and showed larger processing costs than young speakers in the conflict (incongruent) condition. Our data replicate a decline in non-verbal attentional control with age and also reveal slower and more error-prone picture-naming in the elderly. These language-specific changes, however, seem to be independent from attentional control and are likely to result from less fluent morpho-phonological encoding in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Lorenz
- Department of Psychology, Neurocognitive Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
| | - Stefanie Regel
- Department of Psychology, Neurocognitive Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Pienie Zwitserlood
- Department of Psychology, Psycholinguistics and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Rasha Abdel Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Neurocognitive Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
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Hwang YK, Kim E, Kim YB, Kim YW, Nam CM, Cho SH, Kim H. Diagnostic Value of Time-Constrained Naming Test in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2018; 44:171-181. [PMID: 28869957 DOI: 10.1159/000479149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Naming difficulties have recently garnered more interest in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We anticipate that naming tests with the consideration of response time can provide more informative and distinct neuropsychological profiles of individuals with MCI. METHODS Naming tests were administered to 76 elderly individuals with MCI and 149 healthy elderly (HE). We analyzed the impact of MCI on naming performance and occurrence of "delayed" response. We also validated the predictive power of naming tests with a time-constrained scoring system. RESULTS MCI participants performed poorer on the noun naming test than HE participants (p = 0.014). MCI was significantly associated with the occurrence of "delayed" response on the noun (odds ratio [OR] = 3.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.78-7.17) and verb naming tests (OR = 4.66; 95% CI = 2.07-10.46). The time-constrained naming scores were significantly better able to distinguish the MCI from the HE group than the conventional spontaneous naming score on both the noun (p < 0.001) and verb (p = 0.002) naming tests. CONCLUSIONS Our findings broaden the knowledge related to the naming ability in individuals with MCI, with respect to the response time. We also confirmed the validity of the naming tests by applying the "delayed" responses as supplementary assessments in the diagnosis of MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kyung Hwang
- Graduate Program in Speech and Language Pathology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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Mohan R, Weber C. Neural activity reveals effects of aging on inhibitory processes during word retrieval. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2018; 26:660-687. [PMID: 30223706 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2018.1519105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Word retrieval difficulties are one of the most frustrating problems for older adults. Poorer access to phonological representation of the target word has been postulated as the underlying deficit, supported by findings of improved word retrieval after phonological priming. To better understand aging effects in the underlying neurophysiology associated with word retrieval, this study examined electrophysiological correlates of phonological priming and word retrieval in adults. Young, middle-aged, and older adults viewed pictures that were preceded by pseudo-word primes that either shared initial phonemes with or were unrelated to the picture's name. Participants made phonological judgments regarding the prime and picture prior to naming the picture. Behavioral and event-related potential correlates of phonological priming and word retrieval were recorded. All groups benefitted similarly from phonological priming, evidenced by faster phonological judgment response times and increased ease of word retrieval for primed pictures, indexed by the N400 priming effect. The peak latency of the N2, however, showed an incremental delay with age. High correlation between N2 peak latency and clinical measures of inhibition suggested an age-related delay in the inhibition of primed lexical competitors. Taken together, our results indicated intact activation of phonological representation of the picture's name but age-related delays in inhibition of primed competitors. Interestingly, our findings revealed that delays in inhibiting lexical competitors may begin as early as middle age, highlighting the importance of including multiple age groups to better represent the aging trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjini Mohan
- a Department of Communication Disorders, Texas State University , San Marcos , TX , USA
| | - Christine Weber
- b Weber, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Science, Purdue University , West Lafayette , IN , USA
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