Abstract Word Definition in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.
The aims of this study were to investigate concrete and abstract word definition ability (1) between patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and normal adults and (2) between the aMCI subtypes (i.e., amnestic single-domain MCI and amnestic multidomain MCI; asMCI and amMCI) and normal controls. The 68 patients with aMCI (29 asMCI and 39 amMCI) and 93 age- and education-matched normal adults performed word definition tasks composed of five concrete (e.g., train) and five abstract nouns (e.g., jealousy). Task performances were analyzed on total score, number of core meanings, and number of supplementary meanings. The results were as follows. First, the aMCI patients scored significantly poorer than the normal controls in only abstract word definition. Second, both subtypes of aMCI performed worse than the controls in only abstract word definition. In conclusion, a definition task of abstract rather than concrete concepts may provide richer information to show semantic impairment of aMCI.
Graduate Program in Speech and Language Pathology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea ; Department of Speech and Hearing Therapy, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan 46252, Republic of Korea.
Soo Ryon
SR
Kim
Neurocognitive Behavior Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea ; Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.
SangYun
S
Kim
Neurocognitive Behavior Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea ; Translational Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.
Min Jae
MJ
Baek
Graduate Program in Speech and Language Pathology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea ; Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
HyangHee
H
Kim
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000647:Amnesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012660:Semantics