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Hirnstein M, Stuebs J, Moè A, Hausmann M. Sex/Gender Differences in Verbal Fluency and Verbal-Episodic Memory: A Meta-Analysis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:67-90. [PMID: 35867343 PMCID: PMC9896545 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221082116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Women are thought to fare better in verbal abilities, especially in verbal-fluency and verbal-memory tasks. However, the last meta-analysis on sex/gender differences in verbal fluency dates from 1988. Although verbal memory has only recently been investigated meta-analytically, a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking that focuses on verbal memory as it is typically assessed, for example, in neuropsychological settings. On the basis of 496 effect sizes and 355,173 participants, in the current meta-analysis, we found that women/girls outperformed men/boys in phonemic fluency (ds = 0.12-0.13) but not in semantic fluency (ds = 0.01-0.02), for which the sex/gender difference appeared to be category-dependent. Women/girls also outperformed men/boys in recall (d = 0.28) and recognition (ds = 0.12-0.17). Although effect sizes are small, the female advantage was relatively stable over the past 50 years and across lifetime. Published articles reported stronger female advantages than unpublished studies, and first authors reported better performance for members of their own sex/gender. We conclude that a small female advantage in phonemic fluency, recall, and recognition exists and is partly subject to publication bias. Considerable variance suggests further contributing factors, such as participants' language and country/region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
| | - Josephine Stuebs
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
- Department of Neuropsychology and
Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University
- Institute of Clinical Medicine,
University of Oslo
| | - Angelica Moè
- Department of General Psychology,
University of Padua
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Chinese version of the auditory verbal learning test: normative study and clinical applications in Chinese-speaking population in Shijiazhuang city. Acta Neurol Belg 2022:10.1007/s13760-022-01976-3. [PMID: 35908017 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-022-01976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purposes were to establish standardized values for the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) in the communities of Shijiazhuang city (China), with particular focus on the influences of age, education and sex, and to detect the discriminant validity data of the AVLT in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS 406 Chinese-speaking subjects (age: 50-84 years old) from Shijiazhuang city, were brought into this study. Using linear regression analyses, standardized values were developed for three variables of interest, including scores on short-term memory (sum of AVLT trials 1-3), delayed recall (AVLT trial 4), and an index representing recognition memory corrected for false-positive identifications (AVLT trial 5). 177 patients with AIS were included to probe the discriminant validity of the AVLT. RESULTS The linear regression analysis showed statistically significant effect of age and sex on all trials of the AVLT. Years of education contributed significantly to trial 1-3 and trial 4 but not trial 5. Based on the results obtained, trail 1-3 and trail 4 of AVLT norms were stratified by age (3 strata), education (2 strata), and sex (2 strata). Trail 5 norms were stratified by age (3 strata) and sex (2 strata). Moreover, AIS groups performed significantly worse on most AVLT trials than matched cognitively healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS Normative data stratified by age, education and sex for the Chinese-speaking community-residents in Shijiazhuang was presented for use in research and clinical settings. The AVLT measures adequately differentiated between the cognitive performance (especially memory decline) of healthy adults and patients with AIS.
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Alviarez-Schulze V, Cattaneo G, Pachón-García C, Solana-Sánchez J, Tormos JM, Pascual-Leone A, Bartrés-Faz D. Validation and Normative Data of the Spanish Version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Associated Long-Term Forgetting Measures in Middle-Aged Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:809019. [PMID: 35221995 PMCID: PMC8865334 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.809019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is an episodic memory helpful measure to detect changes associated with abnormal aging. There is a lack of RAVLT validation and normalization studies in Spain. The aim was to determine its psychometric properties and explore long-term forgetting (LTF) performance through 1-week delayed recall under three different modes of administration. The RAVLT was administered to 602 cognitively healthy volunteers, aged between 41 and 65 years, of whom 251 completed the LTF assessment. Findings reveal a factorial structure of four components, with satisfactory goodness of fit, and adequate convergent and divergent validity. We also demonstrated the differential effect of three methodologies used in LTF assessment, supporting that test expectancy positively influences long-term storage. Finally, normative data were generated according to age, sex, and education. The test, including the LTF measure, is a promising tool to estimate memory in middle-aged adults and develop predictive brain aging models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Alviarez-Schulze
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias del Comportamiento, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas, Venezuela
- *Correspondence: Vanessa Alviarez-Schulze,
| | - Gabriele Cattaneo
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Catherine Pachón-García
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Javier Solana-Sánchez
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Josep M. Tormos
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Validation and Normative Data of the Spanish Version of the Face Name Associative Memory Exam (S-FNAME). J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 28:74-84. [PMID: 33749568 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617721000084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The relevance of the episodic memory in the prediction of brain aging is well known. The Face Name Associative Memory Exam (FNAME) is a valued associative memory measure related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, such as amyloid-β deposition preclinical AD individuals. Previous validation of the Spanish version of the FNAME test (S-FNAME) provided normative data and psychometric characteristics. The study was limited to subjects attending a memory clinic and included a reduced sample with gender inequality distribution. The purpose of this study was to assess S-FNAME psychometric properties and provide normative data in a larger independent sample of cognitively healthy individuals. METHOD S-FNAME was administered to 511 cognitively healthy volunteers (242 women, aged 41-65 years) participating in the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative cohort study. RESULTS Factor analysis supported construct validity revealing two underlying components: face-name and face-occupation and explaining 95.34% of the total variance, with satisfactory goodness of fit. Correlations between S-FNAME and Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test were statistically significant and confirmed its convergent validity. We also found weak correlations with non-memory tests supporting divergent validity. Women showed better scores, and S-FNAME was positively correlated with education and negatively with age. Finally, we generated normative data. CONCLUSIONS The S-FNAME test exhibits good psychometric properties, consistent with previous findings, resulting in a valid and reliable tool to assess episodic memory in cognitively healthy middle-aged adults. It is a promising test for the early detection of subtle memory dysfunction associated with abnormal brain aging.
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Boenniger MM, Staerk C, Coors A, Huijbers W, Ettinger U, Breteler MMB. Ten German versions of Rey's auditory verbal learning test: Age and sex effects in 4,000 adults of the Rhineland Study. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2021; 43:637-653. [PMID: 34636711 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2021.1984398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Detecting early pathological cognitive decline is critical for dementia and aging-related research and clinical diagnostics. Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) is commonly used to measure episodic verbal memory. The test requires participants to learn a list of 15 words over several trials. Since multiple testing is often required to detect cognitive decline, but repeating the same test can bias results, we developed 10 German AVLT word lists. METHOD We randomly assigned the lists to 4,000 participants (aged 30-94 years) from a population-based cohort to test their comparability, as well as aging effects and sex differences. RESULTS Nine lists were highly comparable, with only one being slightly more difficult. Recall performance decreased on average by 0.6-1.1 words per trial per decade of age. Perseveration errors decreased with increasing age. Women remembered on average between 0.8 and 1.5 words per trial more than men, regardless of age. Women also outperformed men in the sum of Trials 1-5, learning over trials, retroactive inhibition, and false-positive and interference errors. Proactive inhibition remained stable across age and was unaffected by sex. CONCLUSION This German AVLT version presents comparable lists including detailed age and sex references and therefore allows test repetition excluding training effects. These versions are a valuable resource for research and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meta M Boenniger
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Staerk
- Institute for Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology (IMBIE), Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Annabell Coors
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Willem Huijbers
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Monique M B Breteler
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Institute for Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology (IMBIE), Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Dassanayake TL, Hewawasam C, Baminiwatta A, Samarasekara N, Ariyasinghe DI. Sex-, age- and education-adjusted norms for the WHO/UCLA version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test for Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankan adults. Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 34:127-142. [PMID: 33025851 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2020.1829069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to create sex-, age- and education-adjusted norms for the WHO/UCLA version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankan adults. METHODS Five-hundred and sixty-one healthy, community-living adults (252 men), aged 19-83 years, and had 0-23 years of education completed the WHO/UCLA RAVLT in Sinhala language. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses with sex, age and years of education to predict RAVLT list A1-A5 individual trial scores; trials A1-A5 total learning; list B score; immediate and delayed recall and recognition trial scores; and retroactive interference. RESULTS We report regression equations to predict RAVLT norms based on sex, age and years of education; and the test variances accounted by those variables. Accordingly, all measures, except retroactive interference had a significant age-related decline. All measures, except the recognition trial hits, significantly improved with more years of education. Women had significantly higher scores in all measures except in trial B and retroactive interference. Proactive interference, learning rate, learning over trials were not associated with sex, age or education. A confirmatory factor analysis loaded the RAVLT outcome measures into two factors: acquisition and retention. CONCLUSIONS We report sex-, age- and education-adjusted WHO/UCLA RAVLT norms for Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankans aged 19-83 years; and supplement the regression formulae with a calculator that produces predicted and standard scores for given test participant. These norms would help clinicians accurately interpret individual test results, accounting for the variability introduced by sex, age and education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chandana Hewawasam
- Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Department of Physiology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka
| | - Anuradha Baminiwatta
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
| | - Narendra Samarasekara
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.,Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Navarro E, Calero MD. Cognitive Plasticity in Young-Old Adults and Old-Old Adults and Its Relationship with Successful Aging. Geriatrics (Basel) 2018; 3:geriatrics3040076. [PMID: 31011111 PMCID: PMC6371126 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics3040076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The general objective of this study was to analyze cognitive plasticity as a variable related to successful aging in a group of young-old adults and old-old adults using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test—Learning Potential (AVLT-LP). Method: A total of 569 persons, with mean age 76.67 years (379 between the ages of 65 and 80 years, and 190 older than age 80). They were assessed with a socio-health questionnaire, with the AVLT-LP, and with the Spanish version of the Mini Mental State Examination. Results: The results showed significant differences on the test, in favor of the younger group, while the over 80 group gave poorer performance and showed less cognitive plasticity. With relation to gender, slight differences appeared in favor of the women, on the first four test trials, but not on the last two, nor in delayed recall or cognitive plasticity. As for cognitive status, the results showed significantly better task performance levels in healthy elders, as well as greater plasticity. Nonetheless, certain persons with high plasticity were also found among those with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The data obtained here offers evidence for the importance of cognitive plasticity in elders and its relation to longevity and successful aging. It also provides information about the influence of variables like age, gender and cognitive status on a verbal memory and plasticity assessment task that is in wide use today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Navarro
- Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - M Dolores Calero
- CIMCYC, Research Center on Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Lavoie M, Bherer L, Joubert S, Gagnon JF, Blanchet S, Rouleau I, Macoir J, Hudon C. Normative data for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test in the older French-Quebec population. Clin Neuropsychol 2018; 32:15-28. [DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2018.1429670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Lavoie
- Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis Bherer
- Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Centre de recherche, Institut de cardiologie de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Sven Joubert
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Blanchet
- Laboratoire Mémoire & Cognition (LMC), INSERM UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences (CPN), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne (Paris Cité), Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Rouleau
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Centre de recherche, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Joël Macoir
- Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Carol Hudon
- Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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Woods DL, Wyma JM, Herron TJ, Yund EW. The Bay Area Verbal Learning Test (BAVLT): Normative Data and the Effects of Repeated Testing, Simulated Malingering, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 10:654. [PMID: 28127280 PMCID: PMC5226952 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Verbal learning tests (VLTs) are widely used to evaluate memory deficits in neuropsychiatric and developmental disorders. However, their validity has been called into question by studies showing significant differences in VLT scores obtained by different examiners. Here we describe the computerized Bay Area Verbal Learning Test (BAVLT), which minimizes inter-examiner differences by incorporating digital list presentation and automated scoring. In the 10-min BAVLT, a 12-word list is presented on three acquisition trials, followed by a distractor list, immediate recall of the first list, and, after a 30-min delay, delayed recall and recognition. In Experiment 1, we analyzed the performance of 195 participants ranging in age from 18 to 82 years. Acquisition trials showed strong primacy and recency effects, with scores improving over repetitions, particularly for mid-list words. Inter-word intervals (IWIs) increased with successive words recalled. Omnibus scores (summed over all trials except recognition) were influenced by age, education, and sex (women outperformed men). In Experiment 2, we examined BAVLT test-retest reliability in 29 participants tested with different word lists at weekly intervals. High intraclass correlation coefficients were seen for omnibus and acquisition scores, IWIs, and a categorization index reflecting semantic reorganization. Experiment 3 examined the performance of Experiment 2 participants when feigning symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Although 37% of simulated malingerers showed abnormal (p < 0.05) omnibus z-scores, z-score cutoffs were ineffective in discriminating abnormal malingerers from control participants with abnormal scores. In contrast, four malingering indices (recognition scores, primacy/recency effects, learning rate across acquisition trials, and IWIs) discriminated the two groups with 80% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Experiment 4 examined the performance of a small group of patients with mild or severe TBI. Overall, both patient groups performed within the normal range, although significant performance deficits were seen in some patients. The BAVLT improves the speed and replicability of verbal learning assessments while providing comprehensive measures of retrieval timing, semantic organization, and primacy/recency effects that clarify the nature of performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Woods
- Human Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care SystemMartinez, CA, USA; University of California Davis Department of NeurologySacramento, CA, USA; Center for Neurosciences, University of California DavisDavis, CA, USA; University of California Davis Center for Mind and BrainDavis, CA, USA; NeuroBehavioral Systems, Inc.Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John M Wyma
- Human Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System Martinez, CA, USA
| | - Timothy J Herron
- Human Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System Martinez, CA, USA
| | - E William Yund
- Human Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System Martinez, CA, USA
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Messinis L, Nasios G, Mougias A, Politis A, Zampakis P, Tsiamaki E, Malefaki S, Gourzis P, Papathanasopoulos P. Age and education adjusted normative data and discriminative validity for Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test in the elderly Greek population. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2015; 38:23-39. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2015.1085496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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