Category Specific Semantic knowledge in Neuro-typical Participants and Persons with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to test category specific semantic knowledge in neuro-typical participants and persons diagnosed with cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia). A total of 91 (80 neuro typical, 5 persons with dementia and 6 persons with MCI). Neuro-typical participants could perform better compared to persons with cognitive impairment. Participants with MCI performed better compared to persons with dementia. Semantic knowledge is assumed to be very essential for naming in animate things compared to animate. Neuro-typical participants and patients diagnosed with MCI could name more items under the inanimate category compared to animate category. While persons with dementia could perform well on animate compared to inanimate but the difference was minimal. Participants with dementia could not do well with cues suggesting that semantic knowledge would have been reduced in these them.

Keywords: animate category, in-animate category, semantic knowledge

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