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Original Article
Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders 2017: 16: 1: 20-25

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Vocabulary Knowledge is not a Predictor of General Cognitive Functioning in Elderly People with Very Low Educational Attainment
Heyeon Park,1,2 Jeanyung Chey,1 Jiyoun Lee1
1Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 2Office of Humanitarian & Public Healthcare Support, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
Vocabulary Knowledge is not a Predictor of General Cognitive Functioning in Elderly People with Very Low Educational Attainment
Heyeon Park,1,2 Jeanyung Chey,1 Jiyoun Lee1
1Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 2Office of Humanitarian & Public Healthcare Support, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
Background and Purpose Vocabulary knowledge is used as a representative index of general intelligence, and is regarded as a marker for cognitive reserve in elderly people. However, vocabulary knowledge mainly depends on formal education, hence, it may not fully represent cognitive functioning in elderly people with poor educational backgrounds. Herein, we investigated whether vocabulary knowledge is a measure of general cognitive ability among normal elderly people with few years of formal education.
Methods The association between vocabulary knowledge and general cognitive functioning was compared between 35 elderly females with very low educational attainment and 68 elderly females with higher education.
Results The vocabulary knowledge was a significant predictor of general cognitive functioning in elderly individuals with more than primary education, even after controlling the effects of age and years of education. However, it was not a significant predictor of general cognitive functioning in elderly individuals with very low educational attainment.
Conclusions Vocabulary assessment was effective in estimating general cognitive functioning in elderly individuals who received ≥6 years of education. Our findings suggested that vocabulary knowledge may not be an effective proxy of premorbid intelligence or cognitive reserve in people who have not completed elementary schooling.
Key Words: vocabulary knowledge, premorbid intelligence, cognitive aging, cognitive reserve, education.
대한치매학회지 (Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders)