Title | The Korean Size/Weight Attribute Test: A Semantic Knowledge Test for Korean Older Adults and Brain-Imaging Evidence. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | Yoo, Y, Shin, SA, Park, S, Lee, J-H, Youn, J-H, Kim, YKyeong, Lee, J-Y |
Journal | J Alzheimers Dis |
Volume | 49 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | 377-86 |
Date Published | 2016 |
ISSN | 1875-8908 |
Keywords | Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alzheimer Disease, Analysis of Variance, Brain, Dementia, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Republic of Korea, ROC Curve, Semantics |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: A standardized tool for evaluating semantic knowledge of the Korean population is needed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a neuropsychological test for the evaluation of semantic knowledge in the Korean elderly population. METHODS: The Korean version of the Size/Weight Attribute Test (SWAT-K) was developed in reference to the original version. The diagnostic validity of SWAT-K was evaluated with 95 elderly outpatients [67 normal controls; 18 with Alzheimer's disease (AD); 10 with semantic-variant progressive aphasia (SV-PPA)]. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to examine associations between SWAT-K scores and morphological changes of the brain. RESULTS: SWAT-K could discriminate the three subject groups (normal >AD, p SV-PPA, p = 0.040), whereas Boston Naming Test could not distinguish SV-PPA from AD. ROC curve analysis confirmed high levels of sensitivity (0.90) and specificity (0.93) for SWAT-K. The test's inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.827) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.666) were assessed as well. VBM found a significant positive correlation (uncorrected p 100) between SWAT-K scores and gray matter volume in right inferior frontal cortex (T = 4.08, k = 191) and bilateral temporal cortices (left, T = 4.42, k = 135; right, T = 3.55, k = 253), the areas the most affected in SV-PPA. CONCLUSIONS: SWAT-K is a sensitive and reliable test for evaluating semantic knowledge in the Korean elderly population. Strong positive correlations between SWAT-K scores and the brain areas responsible for semantic processing further corroborate the validity of SWAT-K. |
DOI | 10.3233/JAD-150492 |
Alternate Journal | J. Alzheimers Dis. |
PubMed ID | 26484915 |