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Article published In: The Mental Lexicon
Vol. 13:2 (2018) ► pp.215–229

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Proper name retrieval in cognitive decline

The role of cognitive reserve

 | University of Padova
 | University of Padova
 | University of Padova
 | University of Padova
Published online: 10 January 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ml.18004.mon
Abstract
This study explores the retrieval of proper names and the sensitivity of this lexical category to the modulatory effect of cognitive reserve in an aging population. Thirty-two elderly patients, undergoing their first neuropsychological evaluation were matched for age and education to thirty-two healthy controls. All participants were administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to measure their global cognitive performance, the Famous Face Naming test to assess proper name retrieval, and the Cognitive Reserve Index (CRI) questionnaire to obtain an index of cognitive reserve. The two groups had comparable CRI total scores, but patients’ performance was worse in both MoCA and Famous Face naming test, compared to healthy controls. Results showed that cognitive reserve predicted global cognitive performance (i.e., MoCA score) in the patients, but not in the healthy participants. Naming proper names was independent from cognitive reserve. This might be due to their lexical nature, which lies in a poor semantic connection between proper names and their bearers.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Materials
    • Statistical analysis
    • Results
  • Discussion
  • References
References (40)
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