title: Verbal Fluency Performance in Patients with Non-demented Parkinson's Disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While Parkinson's disease (PD) has traditionally been defined by motor symptoms, many researches have indicated that mild cognitive impairment is common in non-demented PD patients. The purpose of this study was to compare verbal fluency performance in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients with healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study thirty non-demented Parkinson's disease patients and 30 healthy controls, matched by age, gender and education, were compared on verbal fluency performance. Verbal fluency was studied with a Phonemic Fluency task using the letters F, A, and S, a semantic fluency task using the categories animals and fruits. The independent t-test was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, participants generated more words in the semantic fluency task than in the phonemic fluency task. Results revealed significant differences between patients and controls in semantic fluency task (p<.05). In addition, PD patients showed a significant reduction of correctly generated words in letter fluency task. The total number of words produced was also significantly lower in the PD group (p<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Verbal fluency disruption is implied in non-demented PD patients in association with incipient cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation.Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).
authors.forename: Hooshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dadgar
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Khatoonabadi
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bakhtiyari
keywords: Parkinson's diseas; Phonemic Fluency; Semantic fluency; Verbal Fluency