[Semantic and letter fluency tasks: normative data in an elderly population of 70 years old and over from the PAQUID cohort].

INTRODUCTION:Verbal fluency tasks are frequently used in neuropsychological examinations. The aim of this study was to produce norms for a normal elderly population in semantic (colors, animals, fruits, city names) and letter fluency (letters "L" and "P") tasks performed in 60 seconds. METHODS:These data were collected as part of the PAQUID cohort, a French population-based study on aging conducted in Gironde and Dordogne. RESULTS:The sub-sample analyzed included 1730 non-institutionalized and non-demented subjects. Norms were calculated according to age (70-74 years, 75-79 years, >or=80 years), sex and educational level (no diploma, primary degree, secondary degree and higher). For each task, the number of correct words produced and repetition errors were analyzed. CONCLUSION:The contribution of this work is to provide clinicians with normative scores for semantic and letter fluency tasks helpful for interpreting the performances of elderly patients consulting for cognitive disorders.