Why the study?
Is the modified Fuld Verbal Fluency Test useful as a screening instrument for differentiating demented from normal elderly Chinese?
Is the modified Fuld Verbal Fluency Test useful as a screening instrument for differentiating demented from normal elderly Chinese?
The modified Fuld Verbal Fluency Test can differentiate between normal and demented elderly Chinese, but a composite measure is recommended due to unsatisfactory test-retest reliability of individual scores.
Supports composite verbal fluency scores for differentiation in elderly Chinese; leaves open reliability for individual screening without further validation.
Recent studies in the West have found that verbal fluency tests are useful in the detection of dementia. In this study, the Fuld Verbal Fluency Test (FVFT) was modified and tested for its usefulness as a screening instrument for differentiating demented from normal elderly Chinese in Hong Kong. Fifty-three normal and 56 demented subjects were administered the FVFT, the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE), and the Chinese version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In addition to bearing significant correlation with the CMMSE, the verbal fluency scores for all semantic categories (animals, fruits, vegetables) were found to produce significant differentiation between the normal and demented groups. However, test-retest reliability for the individual verbal fluency scores was shown to be unsatisfactory, and a composite measure was recommended for use in future screening on the grounds of its enhanced reliability.
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Chiu et al. (1997) studied this question.
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