A - 138 Subjective to Objective: Evaluating the Relationship of Subjective Word-Finding Complaints to Performance on Objective Measures of Language

Abstract Objective Individuals undergoing neuropsychological evaluation may report word-finding complaints (WFC). Low performance on naming and fluency measures has been described as indicative of word-finding difficulties; studies examining correspondence of subjective complaints with objective test performance are limited. This study aimed to assess if language test scores differed based on the presence/absence of WFC and if test scores predicted report of WFC. Method One-hundred eleven monolingual-English veterans who passed the TOMM and completed language measures of interest were included. Measures included Auditory Naming Test, Visual Naming Test, Boston Naming Test, Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming subtest, and verbal fluency measures. Sample characteristics included 86.5% men, 71.2% White/Caucasian, 9.9% Hispanic/Latino, 17.1% Black/African American, and 52.2% diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder. Seventy-five (67.6%) participants self-reported WFC. Multivariate analysis and Mann–Whitney U tests compared measures across word-finding groups. Binomial logistic regressions examined each language measure as predictors of word-finding complaints (covariates: age, education, depression; chosen based on extant research reporting association with WFC). Results Presence of WFC was comparable across diagnostic groups (ꭓ2 = 2.49; p = 0.115). Multivariate analysis found no difference in language performance across word-finding groups, Pillai’s Trace = 0.047, p = 0.786, ηp2 = 0.047); group distributions were equivalent across measures. Logistic regressions were non-significant for the neurocognitive disorder group. In the no neurocognitive disorder group, depression (but not language measures) was a significant predictor across models. Conclusion Results indicate presence of subjective WFC is not associated with language test performance, and test performance was not predictive of WFC. Depression emerged as a significant predictor of complaints among those without a neurocognitive disorder, warranting further investigation.