This page is alzhub.org's plain-English summary of a published study, not the paper itself. It is generated from the record we hold for this study, sourced and linked below — check the original for the full text and methods.

46/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 46 out of 100. Digital health tools

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Purpose Evidence exists that changes in language performance may be an early indicator of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often a harbinger of dementing disease. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of language performance in individuals at risk for MCI by virtue of age and self-concern and its relation to performance on tests of memory, visuospatial function, and mental status. Method Eighty-three individuals 55 years or older were administered the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia ( Bayles & Tomoeda, 1993 ), a standardized battery with normative data from 86 healthy older adults (HOAs) and 86 individuals with Alzheimer's dementia, the most common dementing disease. A performance criterion of 1-1.5 SDs below the mean of HOAs defined MCI, as recommended in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. We hypothesized that (a) the majority of at-risk participants would score 1 SD or more below the mean of HOAs on 1 or more subtests and (b) language performance tests would present a greater challenge than memory, mental status, and visuospatial construction tests. Results Both hypotheses were confirmed. Sixty-two participants (74.6%) met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria on at least 1 subtest. Moreover, language subtests were those most likely to elicit a performance 1 SD or more below the mean of HOAs. Conclusions Language performance deficits can appear early before impairment in episodic memory, visuospatial construction ability, or mental status in individuals at risk for MCI. Speech-language pathologists are uniquely qualified to identify subtle changes in language, and standardized language tests with normative data should be used when testing for MCI.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

McCullough, K. C., Bayles, K. A., & Bouldin, E. D. (2019). Language Performance of Individuals at Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0232

Vancouver

McCullough KC, Bayles KA, Bouldin ED. Language Performance of Individuals at Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR. 2019. doi:10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0232. PMID: 30950734.

BibTeX

@article{mccullough2019-30950734,
  author  = {McCullough, K. C. and Bayles, K. A. and Bouldin, E. D.},
  title   = {{Language Performance of Individuals at Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment}},
  journal = {Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR},
  year    = {2019},
  doi     = {10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0232},
  pmid    = {30950734},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0232}
}

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

Key findings

We hypothesized that (a) the majority of at-risk participants would score 1 SD or more below the mean of HOAs on 1 or more subtests and (b) language performance tests would present a greater challenge than memory, mental status, and visuospatial construction tests.
Sixty-two participants (74.6%) met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria on at least 1 subtest.
Moreover, language subtests were those most likely to elicit a performance 1 SD or more below the mean of HOAs.
Conclusions Language performance deficits can appear early before impairment in episodic memory, visuospatial construction ability, or mental status in individuals at risk for MCI.
Speech-language pathologists are uniquely qualified to identify subtle changes in language, and standardized language tests with normative data should be used when testing for MCI.

Why it matters

This study evaluated language performance in 83 individuals at risk for mild cognitive impairment and found language subtests were most likely to show impairment. It is about early detection of cognitive changes, not treatment, cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Digital health →

Study details

Participants86
Effect size74.6%
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 46/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research: journal h-index 223 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	0 / 12	No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	2 / 5	2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	86 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	4 / 7	Cited 57 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	6.3 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 4.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 23 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Erin D. Bouldin: h-index 24 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Arizona: institution h-index 1,336 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30950734)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	46 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Studies this one cites

Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 28.

Later studies that cite this one

1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.

Related studies in Digital health tools

Also tagged “examination”

840 studies in the library carry the topic tag “examination”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 840 tagged studies.

Similar studies

More on Digital health tools

See all studies in Digital health tools →