Date Submitted
5-8-2025
Faculty Advisor
Jennifer Fugate
Abstract
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and represents a loss of memory and other cognitive abilities. It is distinguishable from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in which cognitive impairment is present without impact on daily functioning. Neuropsychological assessment is one of the ways in which dementia and MCI are assessed and diagnosed. One hallmark symptom of AD in earlier stages is impairment in word-finding and naming ability, indicating deficits in semantic memory. The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Subtest (NAB-N) and the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) are valid and reliable tests of naming ability used to diagnose dementia and MCI. The inclusion of color into these test stimuli may facilitate object recognition and naming ability, allowing for a more diagnostically accurate assessment in identifying MCI due to AD. The purpose of the dissertation was to test whether adding color to the MINT affected accuracy in discriminating diagnosis between normal cognition (NC) and MCI. Older adults aged 60+ diagnosed with MCI at Ability KC, along with healthy older adults, were recruited. Each subject was randomly assigned to receive the MINT or the newly created color version of the MINT (C-MINT). All participants also completed the NAB-N. The C-MINT was directly compared to the black-and-white MINT and the NAB-N. It was found that the C-MINT did not facilitate naming ability when compared to the MINT in those with diagnosed MCI or in healthy older adults.
