Object naming and semantic fluency among individuals with genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease

Objectives This study longitudinally examined the object naming and semantic fluency of individuals who are at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) by virtue of having APOE‐4 or a family history of AD. Methods A total of 108 participants (40 with a family history of AD and 43 with APOE‐4) completed the Boston Naming Test and the Animal Naming task at initial assessment and after two years. Results At baseline, object naming was significantly lower for those with both risk factors, F (2, 99) = 5.72, p  < 0.01, but those with either risk factor had significantly lower scores at follow‐up, F (2, 99) = 3.41, p  < 0.05. Semantic fluency (animal naming) was reduced among subjects with the APOE‐4 allele at baseline, F (1, 100) = 4.02, p  < 0.05, but it was not associated with either risk factor at follow‐up. Conclusions These deficits may be associated with a prodromal risk for AD and may serve as pre‐symptomatic markers for the development of AD. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.