Application of the Semantic Fluency Test in the Screening of Mandarin-Chinese-Speaking Older Adults with Mild Dementia of the Alzheimer Type.

Semantic fluency tests have been widely used as a screening test for dementia of Alzheimer type. However, few studies have explored the application of semantic fluency tests in Mandarin Chinese speakers. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using different semantic fluency test categories to distinguish between older adults without cognitive impairments and those with dementia of Alzheimer type in Taiwan. A total of 58 healthy older adults and 54 individuals with dementia of Alzheimer type were recruited. Semantic categories of "animals", "fruits", "vegetables", "birds", "means of transportations" and "musical instruments" were administered to participants. The scores from two groups of participants for each category were analyzed. Significant differences in the test scores of each category between two groups of participants were found. The results also revealed that the variables related to whether the participant had dementia, gender, age, and years of schooling significantly influenced the semantic fluency scores for each category. Among all the demographic characteristic of participants, the diagnosis of dementia was the most determining factor. Furthermore, this study proposed optimal cutoff points and calculated the AUC for various test durations (i.e., 30 s, 45 s and 60 s) and semantic categories in the semantic fluency test, which may serve as a reference that would help clinical personnel distinguish between older adults without cognitive impairments and those with dementia of Alzheimer type in Taiwan.

Conversation turns and speaking roles contributed by Mandarin Chinese dyadic conversations between adults who use speech-generating devices and adults who use natural speech.

Few studies have critically examined contributed conversation turns and speaking roles in dyadic Mandarin Chinese conversations between adults who use natural speech and adults who use SGDs. An analysis of conversation turns considers how conversation participants co-construct conversation processes, whereas an analysis of speaking roles considers how conversation participants co-construct conversation contents. The purpose of the current study was to explore the quantitative contributions of conversation turns and speaking roles in familiar Mandarin Chinese conversation dyads between adults who use SGDs and adults who use natural speech. Five dyads were recruited, and each dyad contained two participants; an adult using an SGD and an adult using natural speech. Each dyadic conversation was individually video-recorded for about 20 minutes, six times. A total of 30 dyadic conversations were analyzed. The means and percentages of the coded conversation turns and speaking roles were computed. Quantitatively asymmetrical contributions of conversation turns and speaking roles occurred in the Mandarin Chinese conversation dyads between the adults who use SGDs and the adults who use natural speech. The adults who use natural speech contributed significantly more conversation turns and speaking roles than did the adults who use SGDs. Implications, limitations, and further research studies were discussed.

Assessing Physiological Stress Responses to Word Retrieval in Individuals with Aphasia: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: Word retrieval difficulty can be distressing for individuals with aphasia. However, physiological stress responses to word retrieval are relatively unstudied. This study aims to measure the physiological response (i.e., heart rate and respiratory rate) and perceived stress in individuals with aphasia during a naming task to understand whether word retrieval may be a stressor to them. METHOD: An aphasia group (n = 7) and a healthy group (n = 38) participated in 4 experimental conditions, including rest, counting, and high-frequency and low-frequency word conditions, while their physiological parameters were measured throughout the sessions. Stress ratings were also obtained for each condition. RESULTS: Significant differences in heart rate were found while participants were engaged in speech and/or language tasks, compared to the rest condition, for both groups. Significant differences in respiratory rate were found between the rest and low-frequency word conditions in the aphasia group. No significant difference was found in heart rate between 2 groups, but a difference in respiratory rate was found between 2 groups in the low-frequency word condition. There were some discrepancies between stress level and physiological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with aphasia perceived greater stress in the naming tasks, however, the perceived stress was not necessarily parallel to the physiological parameters.