Validation of the Action Fluency Test for Screening Mild Cognitive Impairment

Objectives: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a high-risk condition that may progress to Alzheimer’s disease, making early screening and clinical intervention essential. Verbal fluency tests are widely used as a simple and effective tool to differentiate MCI from normal aging. This study aimed to compare the performance of three types of verbal fluency tests (semantic, letter and action fluency) between MCI and normal control adults. Finally, we sought to determine which type of verbal fluency test most effectively distinguishes MCI from normal aging. Methods: A total of 52 participants (26 with MCI, 26 controls) participated in this study. Group differences in verbal fluency performance were analyzed, and correlations between verbal fluency and cognitive screening tests were examined. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the independent discriminative power of verbal fluency. Results: The MCI group exhibited significantly lower performance than the normal controls in the semantic and action fluency tests. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between verbal fluency and cognitive function tests in both groups. Among the verbal fluency tests, action fluency was identified as the most sensitive and independent predictor for distinguishing MCI from normal aging. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the action fluency test is a highly sensitive tool for distinguishing MCI from normal aging. The results highlight the potential for the action fluency test to serve as a critical assessment tool in evaluating language and cognitive function in individuals with MCI. This study provides important theoretical and clinical implications for the early detection of MCI and the development of targeted screening methods.