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Can we track the progression of Alzheimer's Disease via lexical-semantic variables in connected speech?

Marte Mestach (UGent) , Robert Hartsuiker (UGent) and Aurelie Pistono (UGent)
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Abstract
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders worldwide and is characterized by problems with cognition and language, especially word-finding difficulties. The present study focuses on lexical-semantic features via five discourse variables reflecting word-finding difficulties, namely indefinite terms, lexical frequency, repetitions, semantic paraphasias, and use of pronouns. Our aim is twofold: testing whether these variables can discriminate healthy aging from AD, but also mild from moderate AD.Method: 105 participants were examined from the existing Pitt corpus (available on Dementia-Bank), which includes the Cookie Theft Picture Description task. 40 participants were healthy controls, 25 were mild AD participants, and 40 moderate AD participants.Results: The moderate AD group differed significantly from healthy controls in terms of indefinite terms, repetitions, semantic paraphasias, and pronouns. For the latter variable, mild AD patients also differed significantly from healthy controls. However, none of the variables could differen-tiate mild from moderate AD.Conclusion: Four out of five discourse variables could discriminate healthy aging from moderate AD, while only one could discriminate mild AD patients. This is therefore questioning current literature on connected-speech measures in AD and calling for further research on the variables that could better distinguish mild to moderate AD.
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, Lexical-semantic impairment, Language, Word-finding difficulties, Connected speech, Discourse, MINI-MENTAL-STATE, PICTURE DESCRIPTION, DISCOURSE, LANGUAGE, DEMENTIA, PATTERNS, DECLINE, MEMORY, ERRORS, MILD

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MLA
Mestach, Marte, et al. “Can We Track the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via Lexical-Semantic Variables in Connected Speech?” JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS, vol. 70, 2024, doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101189.
APA
Mestach, M., Hartsuiker, R., & Pistono, A. (2024). Can we track the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via lexical-semantic variables in connected speech? JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS, 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101189
Chicago author-date
Mestach, Marte, Robert Hartsuiker, and Aurelie Pistono. 2024. “Can We Track the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via Lexical-Semantic Variables in Connected Speech?” JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101189.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Mestach, Marte, Robert Hartsuiker, and Aurelie Pistono. 2024. “Can We Track the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via Lexical-Semantic Variables in Connected Speech?” JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 70. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101189.
Vancouver
1.
Mestach M, Hartsuiker R, Pistono A. Can we track the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via lexical-semantic variables in connected speech? JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS. 2024;70.
IEEE
[1]
M. Mestach, R. Hartsuiker, and A. Pistono, “Can we track the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via lexical-semantic variables in connected speech?,” JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS, vol. 70, 2024.
@article{01J4KDN1FM2H1RABPH3QEJS4SE,
  abstract     = {{Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders worldwide and is characterized by problems with cognition and language, especially word-finding difficulties. The present study focuses on lexical-semantic features via five discourse variables reflecting word-finding difficulties, namely indefinite terms, lexical frequency, repetitions, semantic paraphasias, and use of pronouns. Our aim is twofold: testing whether these variables can discriminate healthy aging from AD, but also mild from moderate AD.Method: 105 participants were examined from the existing Pitt corpus (available on Dementia-Bank), which includes the Cookie Theft Picture Description task. 40 participants were healthy controls, 25 were mild AD participants, and 40 moderate AD participants.Results: The moderate AD group differed significantly from healthy controls in terms of indefinite terms, repetitions, semantic paraphasias, and pronouns. For the latter variable, mild AD patients also differed significantly from healthy controls. However, none of the variables could differen-tiate mild from moderate AD.Conclusion: Four out of five discourse variables could discriminate healthy aging from moderate AD, while only one could discriminate mild AD patients. This is therefore questioning current literature on connected-speech measures in AD and calling for further research on the variables that could better distinguish mild to moderate AD.}},
  articleno    = {{101189}},
  author       = {{Mestach, Marte and Hartsuiker, Robert and Pistono, Aurelie}},
  issn         = {{0911-6044}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS}},
  keywords     = {{Alzheimer's disease,Lexical-semantic impairment,Language,Word-finding difficulties,Connected speech,Discourse,MINI-MENTAL-STATE,PICTURE DESCRIPTION,DISCOURSE,LANGUAGE,DEMENTIA,PATTERNS,DECLINE,MEMORY,ERRORS,MILD}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{10}},
  title        = {{Can we track the progression of Alzheimer's Disease via lexical-semantic variables in connected speech?}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101189}},
  volume       = {{70}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

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