A meta‐analysis of category fluency clustering and switching abilities in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

CF MCS and NOS are significantly reduced among individuals with MCI/AD. Clustering is thought to be driven by automatic semantic processing, while switching is considered the controlled component of CF. People who generate larger clusters are able to retrieve more exemplars of a subcategory, while those who make more switches can identify (and "exploit") more thematic directions during the test. This highlights the role of both semantic knowledge and semantic control in CF decline in individuals with MCI/AD. Quantifying MCS and NOS can support the assessment of semantic processing when CF is administered.