title: Standardization, Clinical Validation, and Typicality Norms of a New Test Assessing Semantic Verbal Fluency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) tests are widely used in clinical neuropsychology. We propose the standardization and clinical validation of a new SVF test based on the production of names of birds and articles of furniture (Birds and Articles of Furniture test-BAF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 268 subjects aged 40 years or more underwent the test. The clinical validation was conducted on subjects affected by amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI; N = 106), mild (N = 178), and moderate (N = 114) Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BAF total score was influenced by both age and education, whereas the single scores obtained on BAF were also influenced by gender. The percentage of subjects with pathological score on BAF increased from aMCI (19%) to mild (45.5%) and moderate (71.1%) AD, and receiver operating characteristic curves analysis showed that the BAF may be highly reliable in distinguishing aMCI and AD patients from healthy subjects. We also provide typicality norms for birds and articles of furniture that could be useful in the assessment of qualitative features of words produced in semantic fluency tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BAF test could be a valid and reliable tool in both clinical practice and research on subjects affected by cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy davide.quaranta@policlinicogemelli.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caprara
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piccininni
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gainotti
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Neuropsychology, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Camillo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000647:Amnesia / Q000150:complications; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Fluency (verbal/nonverbal); Language and language disorders; Mild cognitive impairment; Norms/normative studies