Naming objects and actions in Swedish: A validation study

Anomia is a common symptom in aphasia following stroke and refers to difficulties retrieving content words, such as nouns and verbs. The word classes may be affected to different extents following a brain lesion, but verbs are generally considered more difficult to process and to name. Picture naming tests are often used to evaluate anomia, but verb naming tests have only been developed more recently in many languages, including Swedish. It is important that these tests are valid and reliable. In the present study, the validity of two Swedish naming tests targeting nouns and verbs respectively was investigated. Results from 19 speakers with aphasia were compared to results from 19 matched controls. The relationship between naming results and aphasia severity, age and educational level was also examined. Both naming tests showed good validity and reliability and can be used to evaluate moderate-severe anomia following stroke in clinical and research settings. The tests may not be sensitive enough to detect mild anomia. In line with previous research indicating a decline in naming ability during normal ageing, the results suggest that lower action naming scores may be anticipated in healthy elderly individuals.