Factor structure and age effects with an aphasia test battery in normal Taiwanese adults

This study was designed to explore in a Taiwanese sample the factor structure of an aphasia test battery composed of parts of several standardized aphasia tests. A secondary goal was to assess effects of normal aging on the obtained factors. The sample was 120 healthy Taiwanese adults, ranging in age from 30 to 78 years. Principal-components analysis of the aphasia test battery revealed 5 factors: verbal comprehension, effortful writing, word production, automatized writing, and visuomotor coordination skills. Because the latter 2 factors have common psychological features, they can be combined and reinterpreted as a factor on the mechanics of writing. Further data analysis with factor scores shows that aging unfavorably influences verbal comprehension, effortful writing processing, and word production functions.