[Verbal fluency: preliminary normative data in a Spanish sample of young adults (20-49 years of age)].
BACKGROUND
Verbal fluency tests are widely used to study, among other things, executive functions. The aim of this study is to establish pilot normative data of these tests (phonological and semantic fluency) for a healthy young adult Spanish population as well as to analyze the influence of age and years of formal education on test performance.


METHODS
A total of 146 healthy young subjects (43.2 % male and 56.8 % female) were administered the tests. Age varied between 20 and 49 (mean age: 34.21 years) and years of formal education ranged from 8 to 20 (mean: 14.51 years).


METHODS
Phonological fluency tests (words starting with the phoneme F, A and S; words not containing A, E and S) and semantic fluency tests (fruits and vegetables, animals, tools) were administered. Performance within one minute was registered as total as well as by quartiles. Statistical analysis was based on the descriptive analysis of the sample. Influence of the variables age and education on each category was studied by simple regression analysis.


RESULTS
The variable formal years of education significantly influenced the scores of all independent variables. Scores were adjusted accordingly. Age was significant for the categories <<animals>> and <<words without E and without S>>. Correlation criteria for the variables that test performance were obtained.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary normative data obtained in the present study will be useful for an adequate neuropsychological assessment of young adult patients with regards to verbal fluency measures. Limitations of some of the categories are discussed.
Buriel
Y
Y
Sección de Neurología de la Conducta y Demencias, Institut Municipal d'Assistència Sanitària, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona.
Gramunt
N
N
Bohm
P
P
Rodes
E
E
Pena-Casanova
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003071:Cognition; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013060:Speech; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014705:Verbal Behavior