Objective: In this study we examined psychometric properties of a brief language and executive function measure in People with Parkinson’s (PwP) and related disorders.

Background: Expressive language and executive function deficits are common in PwP. The Hayling Sentence Completion Test (SCT) measures verbal response initiation by having examinees complete a series of 15 sentences as quickly as possible with the first word(s) that come to mind. Response inhibition is measured by having participants complete 15 sentences with word(s) that are completely unrelated to the context. Outcomes are total response time (by section) and inhibition errors. The Hayling was normed for the UK and Canada but is not the available in the US. Using a corpus of sentences with known response frequencies[1], we created a SCT that could be used in our US-based clinic.

Method: For the initiation section, we selected 15 sentences evenly divided amongst high, moderate, and low response frequency. For inhibition, 15 high response frequency sentences were selected. Initiation items were administered first. Total latency was for recorded for each section; inhibition errors were scored using published rubric[2]. The SCT was given to movement disorder patients during clinical neuropsychological evaluation and interpreted qualitatively. Central tendencies were explored by diagnosis and psychometrics were examined in PwP.

Results: Data were obtained from 327 patients, including 214 non-demented PwP. [Table 1] Inhibition Time was about 2.8x longer than Initiation for most clinical groups, except atypical Parkinson’s who took about 4x as long. Mean (SD) Inhibition Error scores were similar in PwP 6.1 (6.0) and essential tremor 5.7 (5.2), and lower than atypical Parkinson’s 8.8 (6.4), dementia with Lewy bodies, 13.3 (4.6), and Parkinson’s disease dementia, 14 (9.8). In PwP, Initiation and Inhibition Times correlated with semantic and phonemic fluency, while Inhibition Errors correlated with set-switching (Trails B). Reliability for Inhibition items was high, a=.794.

Conclusion: Current findings suggest favorable clinical and psychometric properties for this new SCT. The test is available by request. Development of parallel forms and normative data collection are underway.

Table 1. Sample characteristics.

References: 1. Bloom PA, Fischler I. Completion norms for 329 sentence contexts. Mem Cognit. 1980;8(6):631-642.
2. Burgess PW, Shallice T. Response suppression, initiation and strategy use following frontal lobe lesions. Neuropsychologia. 1996;34(4):263-272.

« Back to 2024 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/this-abstract-presents-the-most-important-scientific-___-a-new-sentence-completion-test-for-parkinsons-disease/