Analysis of errors in the verb fluency task in individuals with Alzheimer's disease

Le résumé fourni par la source

Background: The verb fluency task has emerged as a tool in the assessment of cognition. However, most studies in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) focused on the total verbs produced, without considering qualitative aspects. Analyzing error patterns can provide information about the mechanisms underlying language difficulties in AD and improve the sensitivity of the task as a cognitive marker. Objective: To analyze the types of errors produced by individuals with AD during the verb fluency task. Methods: Case-control study with individuals aged 50 or over with AD and healthy controls. AD diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and neuropsychological assessment. Verb fluency was assessed using a task adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. Responses were recorded, transcribed, and error types were categorized. Statistical analysis was performed using R software. Results: Participants with AD produced fewer correct verbs and more errors in the task, such as repetitions and circumlocutions. Performance decreased with increasing dementia severity. Significant correlations were found between responses and MMSE scores and education. Total verb fluency showed 86.2% sensitivity and 68.1% specificity for AD diagnosis. Discussion: Errors among individuals with AD highlight the influence of executive and semantic impairments on language production. The progression of error frequency suggests that qualitative aspects deteriorate with disease severity. Conclusion: Error analysis in verb fluency offers important insights into the linguistic and cognitive deficits in AD. Qualitative features may serve as sensitive markers of disease severity and should be considered in clinical assessments and future research.

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