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Mild Cognitive Impairments Moderate the Effect of Time on Verbal Fluency Performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2016

Eleni Demetriou  and
Roee Holtzer
Eleni Demetriou
Affiliation:
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, New York
Roee Holtzer*
Affiliation:
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, New York Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NewYork, New York
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Roee Holtzer, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York, New York 10461. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairments (MCI) is a transitional state in aging associated with increased risk of incident dementia. The current study investigated whether MCI status moderated the effect of time on word generation during verbal fluency tasks. Specifically, the objective was to determine whether MCI status had differential effects on initial automatic or latter more effortful retrieval processes of fluency tasks. Methods: Participants were community residing older adults enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. Of the 408 participants, 353 were normal (age=76.06±6.61; %female=57.8) and 55 were diagnosed with MCI (age=78.62±7.00; %female=52.7). Phonemic and category fluency were each administered for 60 s, but performance was recorded at three consecutive 20-s intervals (0–20 s [T1], 21–40 s [T2], 41–60 s [T3]. Separate linear mixed effects models for each fluency task were used to determine the effects of group, time, and their interaction on word generation. Results: In both fluency tasks, word generation declined as a function of time. Individuals with MCI generated fewer words compared to controls during the first 20 s of phonemic (beta=−1.56; p<.001; d=0.28) and category fluency (beta=−1.85; p<.001; d=0.37). Group by time interactions revealed that individuals with MCI demonstrated attenuated declines in word generation from the first to the second and third time intervals of both phonemic ([T1 vs. T2] beta=2.17, p=.001; d=0.41; [T1 vs. T3]beta=2.28, p=.001; d=0.45) and category ([T1 vs. T2] beta= 2.22, p=.002; d=0.50; [T1 vs. T3]beta=3.16, p<.001; d=0.71) fluency. Conclusions: Early automatic retrieval processes in verbal fluency tasks are compromised in MCI. (JINS, 2017, 23, 44–55)

Keywords

AgingDementiaCognitive declinePreclinicalWord retrievalTime trajectories
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 44 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2016 

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