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. 2022 Apr-Jun;16(2):181-186.
doi: 10.1590/1980-5764-DN-2021-0043. Epub 2022 Apr 29.

12-item version of Boston Naming Test: usefulness in the diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer's disease

Héctor Gastón Graviotto  1 , Marcos German Sorbara  1 , Carlos Mario Turizo Rodriguez  1 , Cecilia Serrano  1
Affiliations

12-item version of Boston Naming Test: usefulness in the diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer's disease

Héctor Gastón Graviotto et al. Dement Neuropsychol. 2022 Apr-Jun.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

The 12-item version of the Boston Naming Test (BNT) was adapted to Argentina for the detection of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), with scores similar to the original 60-item version (sensitivity and specificity of 85 and 94%, respectively) without demographic influence (age and educational level). To date, no publications on the use of abbreviated BNT in other degenerative pathologies with language impairment have been reported.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of 12-item BNT in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (FTDbv), and AD.

Methods: Notably, 47 patients with probable AD (NIA-AA 2011) - clinical dementia rating (CDR) 0.5-1, 55 with FTDbv, 17 with PPA, and 46 controls were evaluated and matched for age and education. Exclusion criteria were as follows: alcoholism, other previous neurological or psychiatric illnesses, and education <4 years. All were assessed with a full neuropsychological battery and a 12-item version of BNT.

Results: Median scores of 12-item BNT were as follows: PPA: 3.87 (SD=2.99), AD: 6.13 (SD=3.03); FTDbv: 8.41 (SD=2.53); and controls: 10.22 (SD=1.82). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted.

Conclusions: The 12-item version of BNT can be useful, simple, and fast to identify and differentiate PPA, FTDbv, and AD from controls while retaining the discriminative ability of the original version.

A versão de 12 itens do Teste de Nomeação de Boston (TNB) foi adaptada para a Argentina para a detecção de demência por doença de Alzheimer (DA), com escores semelhantes à versão original de 60 itens (sensibilidade e especificidade de 85 e 94%, respectivamente) sem influência demográfica (idade e escolaridade). Até o momento, não foram relatadas publicações sobre o uso do TNB abreviado em outras patologias degenerativas com comprometimento da linguagem.

Objetivo: avaliar a utilidade do TNB de 12 itens na afasia progressiva primária (APP), na variante comportamental da demência frontotemporal (DFT) e na doença de Alzheimer (DA).

Métodos: 47 prováveis DA (NIA-AA 2011) — CDR 0,5–1, 55 DFT, 17 APP e 46 controles foram avaliados e pareados por idade e escolaridade. Critérios de exclusão: alcoolismo, outras doenças neurológicas ou psiquiátricas prévias e escolaridade <4 anos. Todos foram avaliados com uma bateria neuropsicológica completa e versão de 12 itens do TNB.

Resultados: medianas das pontuações de 12 itens TNB: APP: 3,87 (DP=2,99), DA: 6,13 (DP=3,03); DFT: 8,41 (DP=2,53) e Controles: 10,22 (DP=1,82). As curvas ROC foram traçadas.

Conclusões: O TNB de 12 itens pode ser útil, simples e rápido para identificar e diferenciar APP, DFT e DA nos controles, mantendo a capacidade discriminativa da versão original.

Keywords: Anomia; Aphasia; Dementia; Language Tests.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Performance of the 12-item BNT by subgroups.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves of 12-item BNT by subgroups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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