The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed at standardizing and providing preliminary evidence on the clinical usability of the Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB), which includes phonemic (t-PVF), semantic (t-SVF) and alternate (t-AVF) verbal fluency tasks.MethodsThree-hundred and thirty-five Italian healthy participants (HPs; 140 males; age range = 18–96 years; education range = 4–23 years) and 27 individuals with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were administered the t-VFB. Switch number and cluster size were computed via latent semantic analyses. HPs underwent the telephone-based Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Backward Digit Span (BDS). Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability and equivalence with the in-person Verbal Fluency tasks were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical populations was assessed.ResultsThe majority of t-VFB scores correlated among each other and with the BDS, but not with the MMSE. Switch number correlated with t-PVF, t-SVF, t-AVF scores, whilst cluster size with the t-SVF and t-AVF scores only. The t-VFB was underpinned by a mono-component structure and was internally consistent (Cronbach’s α = 0.91). Test-retest (ICC = 0.69–0.95) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98–1) were optimal. Each t-VFB test was statistically equivalent to its in-person version (equivalence bounds yielding a p < 0.05). Education predicted all t-VFB scores, whereas age t-SVF and t-AVF scores and sex only some t-SVF scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical samples was optimal (AUC = 0.81–0.86).DiscussionThe t-VFB is a valid, reliable and normed telephone-based assessment tool for language and executive functioning, equivalent to the in-person version; results show promising evidence of its diagnostic accuracy in neurological populations.

Monitoring cognitive and psychological alterations in COVID-19 patients: A longitudinal neuropsychological study

“…It follows the need for future research to evaluate the trajectories of cognitive decline in COVID-19 survivors, in particular to longitudinally monitor individuals at risk of dementia. This line of research will benefit from the increasing availability of tele-neuropsychological tools [ [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] ].…”

The Telephone Language Screener (TLS): standardization of a novel telephone-based screening test for language impairment

“…To the aim of convergent validity testing in HPs, the following measures were employed: The Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) task included within the Telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB) [ 51 ], which was administered to 266 HPs; A Telephone-Based Composite Language Index (TBCLI; range, 0–7) computed as the sum of the language items included within the Itel-MMSE [ 10 ]— i.e. , naming-to-description of an object ( N = 1) and sentence repetition ( N = 1) —and the Tele-GEMS [ 13 ]— i.e.…”

“…The Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) task included within the Telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB) [ 51 ], which was administered to 266 HPs;…”

“…All participants first underwent a semi-structured interview for collecting demographic data and medical history, as well as an in-depth sound-check for ensuring a good quality of the call – whose protocol has been described elsewhere [ 15 , 51 ]. When tested over the telephone, participants were at their home; in-person testing took place at the Institutions involved in the study.…”

“…In accordance with previous normative studies [ 11 , 14 , 15 , 51 ], the minimum sample size for ES-based norming was estimated, through the R package pwr [ 65 ] at N =193, by addressing f 2 =.075, 1-β = 0.90, α = 0.05 and df numerator = 3 (three predictors).…”