P2‐303: Deficits in Unconstrained, Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency in Healthy Elders, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Kochhann, Renata; Pereira, Andressa Hermes; Holz, Maila Rossato; Chaves, Márcia Lorena Fagundes; Fonseca, Róchele Paz

doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1433

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Beyond memory, we propose that executive functions are especially important in relation to AD-PRSs in middle age. Executive function deficits are prominent in the early stages of AD (Baudic et al, 2006;Greene, Hodges, & Baddeley, 1995;Kirova, Bays, & Lagalwar, 2015;Lafleche & Albert, 1995;Ramanan et al, 2017) and in MCI (Aretouli & Brandt, 2010;Kochhann et al, 2016;Nutter-Upham et al, 2008;Zhao, Guo, & Hong, 2013). Executive function abilities such as inhibition, task-set shifting, and working memory updating, are of substantial importance because they control other cognitive processes (Friedman & Miyake, 2017;Miyake & Friedman, 2012), and because their performance and associated brain regions are some of the first to exhibit decline in middle age (Bakkour, Morris, Wolk, & Dickerson, 2013;Buckner, 2004;Fjell et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alzheimer’s Disease Polygenic Scores Predict Changes in Episodic Memory and Executive Function Across 12 Years in Late Middle Age

Gustavson

Reynolds

Hohman

et al. 2022

J Int Neuropsychol Soc

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Objective: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is highly heritable, and AD polygenic risk scores (AD-PRSs) have been derived from genome-wide association studies. However, the nature of genetic influences very early in the disease process is still not well known. Here we tested the hypothesis that an AD-PRSs would be associated with changes in episodic memory and executive function across late midlife in men who were cognitively unimpaired at their baseline midlife assessment.. Method: We examined 1168 men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA) who were cognitively normal (CN) at their first of up to three assessments across 12 years (mean ages 56, 62, and 68). Latent growth models of episodic memory and executive function were based on 6–7 tests/subtests. AD-PRSs were based on Kunkle et al. (Nature Genetics, 51, 414–430, 2019), p < 5×10−8 threshold. Results: AD-PRSs were correlated with linear slopes of change for both cognitive abilities. Men with higher AD-PRSs had steeper declines in both memory (r = −.19, 95% CI [−.35, −.03]) and executive functioning (r = −.27, 95% CI [−.49, −.05]). Associations appeared driven by a combination of APOE and non-APOE genetic influences. Conclusions: Memory is most characteristically impaired in AD, but executive functions are one of the first cognitive abilities to decline in midlife in normal aging. This study is among the first to demonstrate that this early decline also relates to AD genetic influences, even in men CN at baseline.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alzheimer’s Disease Polygenic Scores Predict Changes in Episodic Memory and Executive Function Across 12 Years in Late Middle Age

Gustavson

Reynolds

Hohman

et al. 2022

J Int Neuropsychol Soc

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“…Of note, language impairment is often underestimated [6]. Nevertheless, language deficits occur early in AD compared to other cognitive domains, and performance on verbal fluency tasks serves as an important screening procedure and diagnostic criterion [7,8]. This language decline appears to be hierarchical in nature, with the language forms learned last in the sequence of language development deteriorating first [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Language and Communication Interventions in People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review

Dimitriou,

Nousia,

Georgopoulou

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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Although language impairment is frequently observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (pwAD), targeted language rehabilitation is often overlooked. The present study reviews published evidence on the impact of language training, either alone or in combination with cognitive training, on cognitive outcomes in pwAD. A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane was carried out, including studies published from inception to November 2023. A total of eight research articles (four randomized controlled trials and four observational studies) met the inclusion criteria: six assessed language training combined with cognitive training and two evaluated language rehabilitation alone. Regarding language and non-language (mainly memory, attention, and executive functions) outcomes, there was a consensus among studies that language rehabilitation (alone or in combination with cognitive training) yields positive results. Some of the articles also explored the impact on patients’ and their caregivers’ quality of life, with all but one showing improvement. Consequently, the combination of language and cognitive training leads to improvements across various cognitive domains. However, limited evidence supports the value of sole language rehabilitation. This conclusion is influenced by heterogeneity among studies (different types and duration of interventions, small participant sets, various assessment tools), and, thus, further research is warranted.

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“…In non-demented older adults, including those who already have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), cognitive markers-particularly episodic memory-do as well or better than AD biomarkers [2][3][4][5] . Semantic fluency impairment has also been associated with MCI and progression to AD in older adults [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] . However, because the AD process begins decades before dementia onset, researchers have recommended greater emphasis on earlier identification of risk 13,14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline Semantic Fluency Is Associated with Six-Year Progression to Mild Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged Men

Gustavson

Elman

Panizzon

et al. 2019

Preprint

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ObjectiveTest the hypothesis that individual differences in episodic memory and verbal fluency in cognitively normal middle-aged adults will predict progression to amnestic MCI after 6 years.MethodThe analysis sample included 842 male twins who were cognitively normal at baseline (M=56 years), completed measures of episodic memory and verbal fluency at baseline and again 6 years later (M=62 years).ResultsPoor episodic memory predicted progression to both amnestic MCI (OR=4.42, 95% CI [2.44, 10.60]) and non-amnestic MCI (OR=1.92, 95% CI [1.32, 3.44]). Poor semantic verbal fluency also independently predicted progression to amnestic MCI (OR=1.86, 95% CI [1.12, 3.52]). In the full sample, a semantic-specific fluency latent variable at wave 1 (which controls for letter fluency) predicted change in episodic memory at wave 2 (β=.13), but not vice-versa (β=.04). Associations between episodic memory and verbal fluency factors were primarily explained by genetic, rather than environmental, correlations.ConclusionsAmong individuals who were cognitively normal at wave 1, episodic memory moderately-to-strongly predicted progression to MCI at average age 62, emphasizing the fact that there is still meaningful variability even among cognitively normal individuals. Episodic memory, which is typically a primary focus for AD risk, declined earlier and more quickly than fluency. However, semantic fluency at average age 56 predicted 6-year change in memory as well as progression to amnestic MCI even after accounting for baseline memory performance. These findings emphasize the utility of memory and fluency measures in early identification of AD risk.

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P2‐303: Deficits in Unconstrained, Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency in Healthy Elders, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Alzheimer’s Disease Polygenic Scores Predict Changes in Episodic Memory and Executive Function Across 12 Years in Late Middle Age

Alzheimer’s Disease Polygenic Scores Predict Changes in Episodic Memory and Executive Function Across 12 Years in Late Middle Age

Language and Communication Interventions in People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review

Baseline Semantic Fluency Is Associated with Six-Year Progression to Mild Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged Men

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