Semantic Verbal Fluency test in dementia: Preliminary retrospective analysis.

Marcos Lopes,Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki,Letícia Lessa Mansur,Viviana Giampaoli

doi:10.1590/s1980-57642009dn30400009

Marcos Lopes, Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-57642009dn30400009

Copy DOI

Journal: Dementia & Neuropsychologia	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2009
Citations: 28	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo

Abstract

The Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) test entails the generation of words from a given category within a pre-set time of 60 seconds.ObjectivesTo verify whether socio-demographic and clinical data of individuals with dementia correlate with the performance on the SVF test and to ascertain whether differences among the criteria of number of answers, clusters and data spread over the intervals, predict clinical results.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of 49 charts of demented patients classified according to the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. We correlated education, age and gender, as well as CDR and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores with the number of answers, clustering and switching distributed over four 15-second intervals on the SVF test.ResultsThe correlation between number of answers and quartiles was weak (r=0.407, p=0.004; r=0.484, p< 0.001) but correlation between the number of clusters and responses was strong (r=0.883, p< 0.001). The number of items on the SVF was statistically significant with MMSE score (p=0.01) and there was a tendency for significance on the CDR (p=0.06). The results indicated little activity regarding what we propose to call cluster recalling in the two groups.DiscussionThe SVF test, using number of items generated, was found to be more effective than classic screening tests in terms of speed and ease of application in patients with CDR 2 and 3.

Highlights

The Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) test entails the generation of words from a given category within a pre-set time of 60 seconds
With regard to lesions and cognitive repercussions, recent review of the literature on the use of VF in evaluations of patients with focal cortical lesions concluded that semantic verbal fluency related to animals was more specific in detecting cognitive alterations resulting from temporal lesions, while phonemic verbal fluency (PVF) more accurately detected deficits resulting from frontal lesions
Different types of dementia were included in the sample, as the main objective of the study was to explore the method of analyzing verbal fluency

Summary

Introduction

Abstract – The Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) test entails the generation of words from a given category within a pre-set time of 60 seconds. Age and gender, as well as CDR and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores with the number of answers, clustering and switching distributed over four 15-second intervals on the SVF test. The clinical evaluation of semantic memory includes the verbal fluency test, in which an individual is required to recall items. Variations of this test include the phonemic verbal fluency (PVF), free fluency, fluency of certain classes of words, alternated fluency, and semantic verbal fluency (SVF) of different semantic categories such as animals, food, fruits and supermarket items. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is progressive disturbance of semantic memory, attributed to alterations in the inferior-lateral temporal and frontal lobes.[12]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion