Verbal Fluency Tests: Normative Data Stratified by Age and Education in an Istanbul Sample

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to provide updated normative data for one of the widely used neuropsychological assessment tools, namely verbal fluency tests, and examine their reliability and validity.

Materials and Methods: To establish normative data stratified by gender, age and education, a total of 1,431 healthy participants were administered phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests. Concurrent validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability analyses were conducted. The effect of gender, age and education was tested through stepwise linear regression analysis.

Results: The results revealed good internal consistency and acceptable level of test-retest reliability for verbal fluency tests. While gender did not have any effect on test performance, the combined contribution of age and education on phonemic and semantic fluency performance were 37% and 25%, respectively. Verbal fluency performance decreased as a function of age, whereas it increased as a function of education.

Conclusion: The normative data for phonemic and semantic fluency performance between the ages 18 and 89 stratified by four education levels was presented.

Yeditepe University Ethics Committee approval was obtained before starting the study (number: 75078252-050.01-0494).

All volunteers gave signed consent to participate in the study.

Externally peer-reviewed.

Concept: Y.S.İ., Design: Y.S.İ., Data Collection or Processing: Y.S.İ., Analysis or Interpretation: E.S.B., Literature Search: Y.S.İ., E.S.B., Writing: Y.S.İ., E.S.B.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

The authors declared that this study received no financial support.