Gray matter volume and within-task verbal fluency performance among older adults

The current study examined the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) and rate of word generation over the course of three consecutive 20-sec intervals in 60-sec letter and category verbal fluency (VF) tasks. Attenuated rate of within-person word generation in VF provides incremental information beyond total scores and predicts increased risk of incident Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). No studies to date, however, have determined the structural neural substrates underlying word generation rate in VF. Participants were 70 community-residing adults ≥ 65 years, who completed the letter and category VF tasks and a 3 T structural MRI scan. Linear mixed effects models (LMEMs) were used to determine the moderating effect of GMV on word generation rate. Whole brain voxel-wise LMEMs, adjusted for age, gender, education, Wide-Range Achievement Test – reading subtest score (WRAT3), and global health score, were run using permutation methods to correct for multiple comparisons. Lower GMV, primarily in frontal regions (superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, frontal pole, medial orbitofrontal, and pars orbitalis), were related to attenuated word generation rate, especially for letter VF. We propose that lower frontal GMV underlies inefficient executive word search processes reflected by attenuated word generation slope in letter VF amongst older adults.