Sociodemographic predictors of direct and derived verbal fluency scores in a Greek population: The Epirus Health Study cohort normative data

AI Summary

Age and education strongly predict most verbal fluency test metrics, including words produced, clusters, switches, repetitions and errors.
Sex differences observed: women produced more phonemic words and more phonemic and semantic switches; men showed more semantic clusters and higher semantic-phonemic discrepancy.
Socioeconomic and health status contributed minimally to VFT scores and did not alter demographic associations; regression and conventional stratified norms were provided.

AI Summary

Objective: In the present study, normative data for the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) were developed from a Greek cohort updating and expanding existing data and examining the relatively less-common metrics of clustering, switching and semantic--phonemic discrepancy.

Method: Data from 1657 cognitively healthy Greek adults [(991 women; mean age: 46.09 years (SD = 11.63); 677 (41%) university graduates], drawn from the population-based Epirus Health Study, were included in the study.

Women produced more words (β = -0.071) on the phonemic condition and more phonemic (β = -0.072) and semantic (β = -.091) switches, while men made less phonemic repetitions (β = -0.069), more semantic clusters (β = 0.062) and had a higher semantic-phonemic discrepancy index (β=.079).

Basic summary

Clin Neuropsychol. 2026 Jul 10:1-26. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2026.2694490. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objective: In the present study, normative data for the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) were developed from a Greek cohort updating and expanding existing data and examining the relatively less-common metrics of clustering, switching and semantic–phonemic discrepancy. In addition, the association of socioeconomic (SES) and health status (HS) with VFT metrics, which are rarely considered when normative data are calculated, as well as commonly assessed demographic characteristics (sex, age, education) was evaluated. Method: Data from 1657 cognitively healthy Greek adults [(991 women; mean age: 46.09 years (SD = 11.63); 677 (41%) university graduates], drawn from the population-based Epirus Health Study, were included in the study. Scores of interest were the number of words produced, the number of clusters and switches, repetitions, errors, and a semantic-phonemic discrepancy index. Linear regression analyses assessed the association of sociodemographic factors with the VFT scores. Results: Age and education were associated with most VFT scores. Women produced more words (β = -0.071) on the phonemic condition and more phonemic (β = -0.072) and semantic (β = -.091) switches, while men made less phonemic repetitions (β = -0.069), more semantic clusters (β = 0.062) and had a higher semantic-phonemic discrepancy index (β=.079). SES and HS had only limited contribution and did not significantly alter the association between basic demographic variables and VFT scores, when included simultaneously in the model. Conventional and regression-based normative data were suggested according to the observed associations. Conclusions: Updated, demographically stratified norms for direct and derived VFT scores were derived from a large population-based sample of Greek adults.

PMID:42429075 | DOI:10.1080/13854046.2026.2694490

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