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Verbal knowledge as a compensation determinant of adult age differences in verbal fluency tasks over time

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Sauzéon, Hélène [Université de Bordeaux 2, France] Raboutet, C. [Université de Bordeaux 2, France] Rodrigues, J. [Université de Bordeaux 2, France] Langevin, S. [Université de Bordeaux 2, France] Schelstraete, Marie-Anne [UCL] Feyereisen, Pierre [UCL] Hupet, Michel [UCL] N'Kaoua, B. [Université de Bordeaux 2, France]

The aim of this study was to determine whether verbal knowledge can compensate for the age-related decline in word production during a fluency test. We assessed the performance of 20 young and 20 old subjects in standard letter and semantic fluency tasks over time (T1: 0-30 s vs. T2: 31-60 s). The number of words produced, switching, and clustering components (Troyer et al. Neuropsychology, 11(1): 138-146, 1997) were investigated. Correlations between age and cognitive factors (processing speed, executive functions, and vocabulary level) were analyzed. The results revealed a knowledge compensation mechanism in elderly subjects, but only in letter fluency productions. It only occurred during the second period and was related to an increase in the clustering component and a positive correlation between age and vocabulary level. The differences between letter and semantic fluency performances are discussed in terms of the nature of the non-semantic and semantic components involved in these tasks. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Document type Article de périodique (Journal article) – Article de recherche
Access type Accès restreint
Publication date 2011
Language Anglais
Journal information "Journal of Adult Development" - Vol. 18, no. 3, p. 144-154 (2011)
Peer reviewed yes
issn 1068-0667
e-issn 1573-3440
Publication status Publié
Affiliation UCL - SSH/IPSY - Psychological Sciences Research Institute
Keywords Aging ; Clustering and switching across time ; Verbal fluency
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Bibliographic reference Sauzéon, Hélène ; Raboutet, C. ; Rodrigues, J. ; Langevin, S. ; Schelstraete, Marie-Anne ; et. al. Verbal knowledge as a compensation determinant of adult age differences in verbal fluency tasks over time. In: Journal of Adult Development, Vol. 18, no. 3, p. 144-154 (2011)
Permanent URL http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/110678