The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test: an in-depth analysis of recall patterns

Abstract

One of the earliest signs of dementia is memory issues and verbal word lists, such as the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), are successfully used for screening. To gain insight in how memory is affected in dementia, and to further improve the efficacy of the HVLT, in-depth analysis of the recall patterns of dementia cases and controls was conducted. Dementia cases and controls were matched for factors that can affect performance, such as age, gender and education level. Word frequency, syllable length, and orthographic neighbourhood size did not differ in the Indonesian version of the HVLT, nor did these characteristics affect recall. However dementia cases showed consistent and poor recall across the three trials; with the worst recall for the "human shelter" category and best recall for the "animals" category. Dementia cases also showed impaired accessibility of all categories with reduced subsequent recall from accessed categories and reduced primacy and recency levels. Finally, dementia cases exhibited lower levels of re-remembering and recalling new words, and higher levels of immediate forgetting and never recalling words. It was concluded that utilising the extra information provided by the in-depth analyses of the recall patterns could be beneficial to improve dementia screening.

Cerebrovascular function response to prolonged sitting combined with a high‐glycemic index meal: A double‐blind, randomized cross‐over trial

“…Memory recall was assessed using the word list component of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (Grenfell‐Essam et al., 2018). Participants read word lists from the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test at the rate of one word every 2 s in a supine position prior to 3 hr of sitting.…”

Serial position effects on list learning tasks in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

“…One study (Riekkinen et al, 1998) compared recency effects in individuals with AD who were either "responders" or "non-responders" to an administration of a cholinesterase inhibitor, Tetrahydroaminoacridine, and was not included in the current review. Two other studies (Grenfell-Essam, Hogervorst, & Rahardjo, 2018;Jones, Greer, & Cox, 2011) utilized archival data in which patients were diagnosed with or without dementia, but were not included in the current review due to lack of specificity regarding diagnosis (i.e., AD, MCI, or another type of dementia). A complete list of reviewed studies and their findings can be found in Supplemental Table S1.…”

Volumetric reduction of cerebellar lobules associated with memory decline across the adult lifespan

“…In a series of memory tests, we utilized HVLT to study age differences in memory function. The HVLT makes for an appealing measure because it provides a more detailed and standardized assessment of verbal memory than briefer tasks (28). Our results indicate that older adults manifest deficits in immediate memory recall and delayed memory recall.…”

“…Previous task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have also shown that different cerebellar subregions participate in processes of encoding, preservation, and retrieval output of WM (7,24,25). However, notably, unlike the cerebral cortex, in which earlier damage allows for compensatory plasticity (26), cerebellar damage earlier in life can result in worse cognitive outcomes (27), leading to longterm deficits (27,28).…”