Influence of depression on verbal fluency performance

Neuropsychologists are often faced with the challenge of assessing older adults who exhibit both cognitive deficits and symptoms of depression. This study examined factors associated with diminished fluency in elderly adults. Three groups were tested: 54 community elderly, 35 institutionalized elderly, and 40 young adults using the Controlled Oral Word Association test. Significant incremental contributions to performance on verbal fluency included age, education, depression, and the interaction term For depression and functional impairment. Diminished verbal fluency was associated with depression among older adults who were not functionally impaired. The results suggest that variables other than cerebral integrity must be taken into consideration when interpreting older adults' performance on fluency tests.