Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol 52, Issue 5 P247-P250, Copyright © 1997 by The Gerontological Society of America
The modified Fuld Verbal Fluency Test: a validation study in Hong Kong
HF Chiu, CK Chan, LC Lam, KO Ng, SW Li, M Wong and WF Chan
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Recent studies in the West have found that verbal fluency tests are useful
in the detection of dementia. In this study, the Fuld Verbal Fluency Test
(FVFT) was modified and tested for its usefulness as a screening instrument
for differentiating demented from normal elderly Chinese in Hong Kong.
Fifty-three normal and 56 demented subjects were administered the FVFT, the
Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE), and the
Chinese version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In addition to
bearing significant correlation with the CMMSE, the verbal fluency scores
for all semantic categories (animals, fruits, vegetables) were found to
produce significant differentiation between the normal and demented groups.
However, test-retest reliability for the individual verbal fluency scores
was shown to be unsatisfactory, and a composite measure was recommended for
use in future screening on the grounds of its enhanced reliability.
