Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers
Objectives: Cognitive deficits and language disorders such as difficulty in recalling certain words are common among the elderly people. Verbal fluency as an index of word finding is one of the first cognitive functions that decline due to aging.-Considering the lack of norms of verbal fluency in no...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fas |
| Published: |
University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences
2016-07-01
|
| Series: | Sālmand |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1564-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 |
| _version_ | 1827840910959837184 |
|---|---|
| author | Vahideh Mohammadisabet Fariba Yadegari Mahshid Foroughan |
| author_facet | Vahideh Mohammadisabet Fariba Yadegari Mahshid Foroughan |
| author_sort | Vahideh Mohammadisabet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Cognitive deficits and language disorders such as difficulty in recalling certain words are common among the elderly people. Verbal fluency as an index of word finding is one of the first cognitive functions that decline due to aging.-Considering the lack of norms of verbal fluency in normal elderly Persian-speakers, the purpose of this research was to determine verbal fluency performance in elderly Persian speakers.
Methods & Materials: This observational study consisted of 90 normal elderly individuals aged below 60 years, of which 45 were females and 45 were males. They were categorized into two age groups (60-74 years old, 75-90 years old) and three educational groups (<5, 6-12 years old, <12 years). A verbal fluency test was administered in two parts consisting of a semantic fluency measure in which the participants were required to name sequences from semantic categories and another phonemic fluency task (FAS) which was required to be completed in 60 seconds. Responses were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the Troyer method. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: The findings of this study did not reveal any significant differences in the mean scores for semantic and phonemic fluency between both the genders. However, significant differences in mean scores were found in semantic and phonemic fluency between age groups (P<0.001). A significant revere correlation was found between age and switching (r=0.46, P<0.01).Education also showed a positive correlation with switching (r=0.36, P<0.01).
Conclusion: The finding of the present study showed that semantic and phonemic fluency degrades through aging and enhances with higher education. Gender has no effect on semantic and phonemic fluency. It appears that the decline of verbal fluency due to aging should be considered in rehabilitation programs of language deficits such as aphasia in elderly people. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:42:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-458290719109433abae6fa63ee6cbe07 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1735-806X 1735-806X |
| language | fas |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:42:24Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sālmand |
| spelling | doaj.art-458290719109433abae6fa63ee6cbe072023-09-02T21:12:14ZfasUniversity of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation SciencesSālmand1735-806X1735-806X2016-07-01112290299Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian SpeakersVahideh Mohammadisabet0Fariba Yadegari1Mahshid Foroughan2 Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Iranian Reaserch Center on Aging, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Objectives: Cognitive deficits and language disorders such as difficulty in recalling certain words are common among the elderly people. Verbal fluency as an index of word finding is one of the first cognitive functions that decline due to aging.-Considering the lack of norms of verbal fluency in normal elderly Persian-speakers, the purpose of this research was to determine verbal fluency performance in elderly Persian speakers. Methods & Materials: This observational study consisted of 90 normal elderly individuals aged below 60 years, of which 45 were females and 45 were males. They were categorized into two age groups (60-74 years old, 75-90 years old) and three educational groups (<5, 6-12 years old, <12 years). A verbal fluency test was administered in two parts consisting of a semantic fluency measure in which the participants were required to name sequences from semantic categories and another phonemic fluency task (FAS) which was required to be completed in 60 seconds. Responses were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the Troyer method. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The findings of this study did not reveal any significant differences in the mean scores for semantic and phonemic fluency between both the genders. However, significant differences in mean scores were found in semantic and phonemic fluency between age groups (P<0.001). A significant revere correlation was found between age and switching (r=0.46, P<0.01).Education also showed a positive correlation with switching (r=0.36, P<0.01). Conclusion: The finding of the present study showed that semantic and phonemic fluency degrades through aging and enhances with higher education. Gender has no effect on semantic and phonemic fluency. It appears that the decline of verbal fluency due to aging should be considered in rehabilitation programs of language deficits such as aphasia in elderly people.http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1564-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1Word finding Verbal fluency Aging Cognitive decline |
| spellingShingle | Vahideh Mohammadisabet Fariba Yadegari Mahshid Foroughan Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers Sālmand Word finding Verbal fluency Aging Cognitive decline |
| title | Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers |
| title_full | Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers |
| title_fullStr | Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers |
| title_short | Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Elderly Persian Speakers |
| title_sort | verbal fluency performance in normal elderly persian speakers |
| topic | Word finding Verbal fluency Aging Cognitive decline |
| url | http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1564-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vahidehmohammadisabet verbalfluencyperformanceinnormalelderlypersianspeakers AT faribayadegari verbalfluencyperformanceinnormalelderlypersianspeakers AT mahshidforoughan verbalfluencyperformanceinnormalelderlypersianspeakers |