Lexical Retrieval in Healthy Aging

Abstract

Lexical retrieval for common nouns and verbs was measured using 2 picture naming tests in 162 healthy female and male subjects aged 30 to 79 years. Responses were scored for correctness, responsivity to cueing, and response type. The ability to name both word types declined with age, especially after age 70 in healthy subjects. More errors were made on object names than action names, especially for older subjects. Subjects of all ages were equally able to utilize phonemic cues. With increasing age subjects produced more circumlocutions and fewer semantic errors. Response type difference need not reflect qualitative differences in lexical retrieval; rather, they reflect the quantitatively greater difficulty of the task for healthy older people as compared to younger adults. The naming difficulty for healthy aging, we conclude, is at the label retrieval stage.

Age-related effects on speech production: A review

“…The age-related increase in the proportion of semantic errors (i.e., semantic associates, circumlocutions, and wordfinding comments) (Albert et al, 1988;Au et al, 1995;Nicholas et al, 1985) is also consistent with older adults understanding the underlying concept but having problems in selecting the target lemma or in using information about the lemma to retrieve the corresponding phonological word form. The interpretation of the results of phonemic cueing studies is complicated by the fact that phonemic cues might, via feedback, facilitate lemma selection (Howard & Orchard-Lisle, 1984;Lambon Ralph, Sage, & Roberts, 2000).…”

“…A general finding of picture naming studies is that older adults are less accurate (Albert, Heller, & Milberg, 1988;Au, Joung, Nicholas, Obler, Kaas, & Albert, 1995;Barresi, Nicholas, Connor, Obler, & Albert, 2000;Hodgson & Ellis, 1998;Le Dorze & Durocher, 1992;Maylor, 1995;Nicholas, Obler, Albert, & Goodglass, 1985;Randolph, Lansing, Ivnik, Cullum, & Hermann, 1999) and slower than young adults (Bowles, 1994;Feyereisen, Demaeght, & Samson, 1998;Hodgson & Ellis, 1998;Maylor, 1995;Mitchell, 1989;Thomas, Fozard, & Waugh, 1977; but see Evrard, 2002;Poon & Fozard, 1978). It is less clear why this is the case.…”

“…Data based on the Boston Naming Test (BNT, Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1983) consistently show that any decrease in naming accuracy does not become significant until adults are in their 70s (Albert et al, 1988;Au et al, 1995;Barresi et al, 2000;Nicholas et al, 1985;see Feyereisen, 1997, for a meta-analysis). Investigating the cause of agerelated naming failures, Nicholas et al (1985) presented adults ranging in age from 30-79 years with objects to name spontaneously or following semantic and phonemic cueing.…”

“…Investigating the cause of agerelated naming failures, Nicholas et al (1985) presented adults ranging in age from 30-79 years with objects to name spontaneously or following semantic and phonemic cueing. If an object was misperceived, as evidenced by a visual error (e.g., snail for spiral), a semantic cue was given.…”

Changes in Naming and Semantic Abilities With Aging From 50 to 90 years

“…Nicholas, Obler, Albert, and Goodglass (1985) conducted a naming study using the BNT in participants between 30 and 79 years old. In case of naming failure, participants were presented a phonemic cue.…”