Validity of the Verbal Naming Test and Boston Naming Test in a sample of older Veterans

Abstract

Objective

The Verbal Naming Test (VNT) assesses word-finding ability, or naming, through the use of a naming-to-definition paradigm and has been shown to effectively detect naming deficits in older adults. This study evaluated the convergent and discriminant validity of the VNT, assessed how well it detects Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and provided descriptive data stratified by three levels of age (60–69, 70–79, 80–89).

Method

The sample included 151 healthy older Veterans who were found to be cognitively intact and free of neurological and acute psychiatric disorders (mean age = 74.23, SD = 6.67; range: 60–89) and 39 older Veterans with MCI (mean age = 72.97, SD = 8.24; range 60-88). Correlations were calculated between the VNT, Boston Naming Test (BNT), and several other neuropsychological measures. ROC analyses determined how well the VNT detected MCI.

Results

The VNT correlated with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Logical Memory test. The BNT did not correlate with any measure with the exception of Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO). The Area Under the Curve (AUC) for the detection of MCI was 0.69. Normative data for the VNT are presented and stratified by ages.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of the Verbal Naming Test in a sample of cognitively normal older adults, as well as its validity in the detection of MCI. It also provides descriptive data on the Verbal Naming Test that can be used in the neuropsychological assessment of older adults.

Keywords:

• Neuropsychological assessment
• naming
• test norms
• aphasia
• dementia
• test validity
• mild cognitive impairment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System; the Department of Defense Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center [W81XWH-12-1-0584 to JKF]; and the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service [I21RX001884 to JKF].