J Korean Geriatr Soc.  2011 Sep;15(3):135-143.

Different Performances on a Confrontational Naming Test in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

• Park KA
• Choi JW
• Jeon JM
• Kim KS
• Park KW

Abstract

BACKGROUND
We analyzed the performance on a naming test and the correlations between the scores on the naming test and neuropsychological test scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD).
METHODS
The subjects included 69 patients with MCI and 33 patients with mild AD. We performed general cognitive functions, the Korean version of the Boston Naming Test (K-BNT), the digit span test, the Rey figure copy test (RCFT), the Seoul Verbal Learning Test (SVLT), and frontal function tests. The detailed items of the K-BNT were analyzed for the two subject groups, and the correlations between the K-BNT scores and those of the neuropsychological tests were examined.
RESULTS
Significant differences were observed on the item for the number of correct answers after two syllables on the K-BNT task in patients with AD and MCI (p<0.05). A qualitative analysis of the incorrect K-BNT responses showed that both the AD and MCI groups made semantic errors more than visuoperceptual and phonemic errors. Significant correlations were found among the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Global Deterioration Scale, clinical dementia rating, digit span, SVLT delayed recall, RCFT and RCFT delayed recall, and the Stroop test color reading items (p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Our result suggests that semantic errors gradually increase with the progress of cognitive disability in the state preceding AD among patients with MCI.

Keyword

Alzheimer disease; Mild cognitive impairment; Naming test; Neuropsychological test

MeSH Terms

Alzheimer Disease
Boston
Coat Protein Complex I
Dementia
Humans
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Neuropsychological Tests
Semantics
Stroop Test
Verbal Learning
Coat Protein Complex I