ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to describe clustering and switching characteristics in semantic and phonetic verbal fluency of hearing-impaired adults - Brazilian Portuguese speakers - and to verify if there is relation between this characteristics, the total number of words recalled, and biosocial factors.
Methods:
42 hearing-impaired adults, Brazilian-Portuguese speakers, were included. All performed the verbal fluency test by semantic and phonemic clue ("animals" and "letter F", respectively). We analyzed: (a) total words recalled, (b) number of categories recalled, (c) average cluster size, (d) number of switches. Moreover, evaluated the relationship of this data with biosocial information, hearing loss and hearing device characteristics.
Results:
total number of words recalled was 16.38±6.18 for semantic test and 10.88±6.1 for phonetic, on average. Participants retrieved all categories established. The average cluster size was 1.41±0.8 for semantic verbal fluency and 0.71±0.73 for phonetic. The average number of switches was 7.14±3.69 for semantic fluency and 6.36±4.17 for phonetic. For both tests the number of switches was strong and positively related to the total number of words (p<0.001); the average cluster size was related only for phonetic test (p=0.011). Educational level influenced the total number of words, clustering and switching. The hearing loss degree, age of hearing loss acquisition and the use of hearing devices did not present relation with any of evaluated variables.
Conclusion:
clustering and switching abilities in hearing-impaired subjects are influenced by educational level, without clear relation with hearing loss characteristics.
Keywords:
Hearing Loss; Language; Hearing Aids; Cognition
