Brumbaugh, Rachel
(2019)
Effects of aging and hand use on language comprehension performance using the Computerized Revised Token Test-Reading-Word Fade and Speed of Processing Battery.
Undergraduate Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Background: The Computerized Revised Token Test (CRTT) (McNeil et al., 2015) is a standardized assessment of language processing abilities. The CRTT-Reading-Word-Fade (CRTT-R-WF) is a self-paced reading version of the CRTT that places demands on perceptual-motor, cognitive and working memory skills that can adversely influence the fidelity of the test as a measure of language processing. To account for these demands, a speed of processing battery (CRTT-SOP) also was created. The purpose of this study was to collect age-related normative data for the CRTT-R-WF and CRTT-SOP and to investigate aging and the hand used to respond as two potential variables that could influence performance on the test.
Methods: Thirty-four healthy adults completed this study. Group 1 consisted of 15 adults (35-49 years) and Group 2 consisted of 19 older adults (50-64 years). Every participant completed both tests twice, once with each hand. The CRTT-R-WF scores were used to evaluate the effects of age and hand on participant responses. Speed of processing and perceptual-motor control were evaluated with the CRTT-SOP response times. Performance by these groups also were compared to older and young participants from Byrne (2017) and Hendricks (2017) who used the same tasks and methods.
Results: Group 1 and Group 2 did not exhibit significantly different CRTT-R-WF scores, but there was a significant effect for hand used on the CRTT-R-WF with significantly higher scores with the right hand. There were no significant group differences on the CRTT-SOP tasks, although there were significant differences on the SOP tasks by the hand used. When combined with the data from the previous studies, complex interactions and main effects for group and hand were observed for both the CRTT-R-WF and the CRTT-SOP tasks.
Discussion: The results suggested limited group sizes and large variability, rather than a lack of slowing across groups, may account for the stabilization of performance across Groups 1 and 2. The group differences observed when the data were combined with the previous two studies suggested that age is a factor with the CRTT-SOP, along with the hand used to complete the tasks. The right-hand advantage was generally consistent across tasks.
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