Knowledge Representations Derived From Semantic Fluency Data

Zemla, Jeffrey C.

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815860

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 82 publications

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“…On the other hand, SF requires retrieval strategies that use the meaning of words within a semantic category and generate consecutive responses that are semantically similar. This occurs partly because of automatic associative retrieval processes [ 56 ] drawing inferences about the relatedness of concepts encoded in semantic memory [ 57 ]. Several studies argue that as language is semantically represented and organized [ 58 , 59 ], retrieving words from a semantic category would be consistent with how language is stored in the mind.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Olmos-Villaseñor,

Sepulveda-Silva,

Julio-Ramos

et al. 2023

JAD

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Background: Semantic and Phonological fluency (SF and PF) are routinely evaluated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There are disagreements in the literature regarding which fluency task is more affected while developing AD. Most studies focus on SF assessment, given its connection with the temporoparietal amnesic system. PF is less reported, it is related to working memory, which is also impaired in probable and diagnosed AD. Differentiating between performance on these tasks might be informative in early AD diagnosis, providing an accurate linguistic profile. Objective: Compare SF and PF performance in healthy volunteers, volunteers with probable AD, and patients with AD diagnosis, considering the heterogeneity of age, gender, and educational level variables. Methods: A total of 8 studies were included for meta-analysis, reaching a sample size of 1,270 individuals (568 patients diagnosed with AD, 340 with probable AD diagnosis, and 362 healthy volunteers). Results: The three groups consistently performed better on SF than PF. When progressing to a diagnosis of AD, we observed a significant difference in SF and PF performance across our 3 groups of interest (p = 0.04). The age variable explained a proportion of this difference in task performance across the groups, and as age increases, both tasks equally worsen. Conclusion: The performance of SF and PF might play a differential role in early AD diagnosis. These tasks rely on partially different neural bases of language processing. They are thus worth exploring independently in diagnosing normal aging and its transition to pathological stages, including probable and diagnosed AD.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Olmos-Villaseñor,

Sepulveda-Silva,

Julio-Ramos

et al. 2023

JAD

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Examining the Combined Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Memory: A Systematic Review

Kang

Oremus

2023

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics

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Evidence for optimal semantic search throughout adulthood

Zemla,

Gooding,

Austerweil

2023

Sci Rep

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As people age, they learn and store new knowledge in their semantic memory. Despite learning a tremendous amount of information, people can still recall information relevant to the current situation with ease. To accomplish this, the mind must efficiently organize and search a vast store of information. It also must continue to retrieve information effectively despite changes in cognitive mechanisms due to healthy aging, including a general slowing in information processing and a decline in executive functioning. How effectively does the mind of an individual adjust its search to account for changes due to aging? We tested 746 people ages 25 through 69 on a semantic fluency task (free listing animals) and found that, on average, retrieval follows an optimal path through semantic memory. Participants tended to list a sequence of semantically related animals (e.g., lion, tiger, puma) before switching to a semantically unrelated animal (e.g., whale). We found that the timing of these transitions to semantically unrelated animals was remarkably consistent with an optimal strategy for maximizing the overall rate of retrieval (i.e., the number of animals listed per unit time). Age did not affect an individual’s deviation from the optimal strategy given their general performance, suggesting that people adapt and continue to search memory optimally throughout their lives. We argue that this result is more likely due to compensating for a general slowing than a decline in executive functioning.

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Knowledge Representations Derived From Semantic Fluency Data

Cited by 6 publications

References 82 publications

Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Examining the Combined Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Memory: A Systematic Review

Evidence for optimal semantic search throughout adulthood

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