Volume 32, Issue 4 (Avicenna Journal of Clinical Medicine-Winter 2026)
Avicenna J Clin Med 2026, 32(4): 242-249 |
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Mehrfar S, Rezaei M, Rezaei B, Shirmohammadi Khoram N, Weisi F. Comparison of Narrative Discourse Indicators in Turkish-Persian Bilingual Elderly with Different Levels of Cognitive Function. Avicenna J Clin Med 2026; 32 (4) :242-249
URL: http://sjh.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-3276-en.html
URL: http://sjh.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-3276-en.html
1- School of Rehabilitation, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
2- Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
3- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
4- Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran ,farzadweisi@gmail.com
2- Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
3- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
4- Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran ,
Abstract: (72 Views)
Background and Objective: Narrative discourse is a sensitive linguistic marker that may reveal cognitive changes in bilingual older adults. This study aimed to compare narrative discourse performance across Turkish–Persian bilingual elders with different levels of cognitive functioning.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive–analytical cross-sectional study, 122 bilingual older adults (healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease) were assessed. The mean age was 69.34 ± 7.44 years. Data were collected using the Persian Narrative Discourse Test, the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. After confirming non-normal distribution with the Shapiro–Wilk test, nonparametric analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U, and Spearman correlations, were performed.
Results: Four discourse parameters—sentence complexity, lexical cohesion, coherence, and total cohesive markers—showed significant differences across groups (P < 0.001). Most indices declined gradually from healthy to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's, while coherence showed a sharp decline only in the Alzheimer's group. Verbal errors did not differ significantly. In the MCI group, total cohesive markers showed a significant positive correlation with cognitive performance (rs = 0.317, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Narrative discourse measures serve as sensitive indicators for early detection of cognitive decline in bilingual older adults. Micro-level discourse markers are more useful for screening MCI, whereas coherence helps distinguish more advanced stages. Education can also play a role in the level of cognitive reserve. Discourse analysis offers a practical, low-cost tool for cognitive screening.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive–analytical cross-sectional study, 122 bilingual older adults (healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease) were assessed. The mean age was 69.34 ± 7.44 years. Data were collected using the Persian Narrative Discourse Test, the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. After confirming non-normal distribution with the Shapiro–Wilk test, nonparametric analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U, and Spearman correlations, were performed.
Results: Four discourse parameters—sentence complexity, lexical cohesion, coherence, and total cohesive markers—showed significant differences across groups (P < 0.001). Most indices declined gradually from healthy to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's, while coherence showed a sharp decline only in the Alzheimer's group. Verbal errors did not differ significantly. In the MCI group, total cohesive markers showed a significant positive correlation with cognitive performance (rs = 0.317, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Narrative discourse measures serve as sensitive indicators for early detection of cognitive decline in bilingual older adults. Micro-level discourse markers are more useful for screening MCI, whereas coherence helps distinguish more advanced stages. Education can also play a role in the level of cognitive reserve. Discourse analysis offers a practical, low-cost tool for cognitive screening.
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Speech Therapy
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