title: Propositional idea density in older men's written language: findings from the HIMS study using computerised analysis.
abstract: Decline in linguistic function has been associated with decline in cognitive function in previous research. This research investigated the informativeness of written language samples of Australian men from the Health in Men's Study (HIMS) aged from 76 to 93 years using the Computerised Propositional Idea Density Rater (CPIDR 5.1). In total, 60,255 words in 1147 comments were analysed using a linear-mixed model for statistical analysis. Results indicated no relationship with education level (p = 0.79). Participants for whom English was not their first learnt language showed Propositional Idea Density (PD) scores slightly lower (0.018 per 1 word). Mean PD per 1 word for those for whom English was their first language for comments below 60 words was 0.494 and above 60 words 0.526. Text length was found to have an effect (p = <0.0001). The mean PD was higher than previously reported for men and lower than previously reported for a similar cohort for Australian women.
authors.affiliation: School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle , Callaghan, Newcastle , Australia .
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Colyvas
authors.forename: Graeme J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hankey
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flicker
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007807:Language Tests; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D012660:Semantics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012984:Software; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis; D014904:Western Australia; D014956:Writing
keywords: Ageing; corpus linguistics; idea density; language decline; propositional density