The effects of age, educational background and sex on confrontation naming in normals; principles for testing naming ability

In clinical researsch one is constantly confronted with the question of normality since pathological behaviour can only be defined with regard to data establishing normal functioning. Confrontation naming is one of the most commonly explored performances in neuropsychological examination and in assessing aphasia. The task of picture naming is not only part of the initial assessment of pathologcal deficits but is also used to evaluate longitudinal changes in pathologcal performance related to treatment effects or to the spontaneous COUI-se of the disease.