Table 6

 Verbal abilities and language: weighted Cohen’s d effect sizes* for each test, rank ordered by size

N 
 >studiesN 
 >participantsMean 
 >Cohen’s dwSD dw (95% CI)Min dMax dNfs%OLStudy references
ACE, Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination; Max d, maximum effect size; Mean dw, mean weighted effect size; Min d, minimum effect size; N, number of studies contributing to the effect size; Nfs, fail safe N; %OL, per cent overlap between the Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia groups; SD dw, SD of weighted effect size; WAB, Western Aphasia Battery; WAIS, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (all editions); 95% CI, 95% CI for means.
*Effect sizes weighted by the inverse variance.
Graded Naming Test3881.390.44 (0.89, 1.88)0.613.011832 28, 78, 109
Word–Picture Matching51231.050.44 (0.66, 1.44)0.372.002141 30, 79, 109, 119, 120
WAB Spontaneous Speech (fluency)22271.040.20 (0.76, 1.32)0.481.29845 94, 124
Pyramids and Palm Trees (words)51851.020.36 (0.71, 1.34)0.651.722145 82, 90, 114, 119, 120
Other picture naming tasks112910.990.45 (0.73, 1.26)−0.452.934345 29, 68, 74, 129
Pyramids and Palm Trees (pictures)41160.900.40 (0.51, 1.30)0.291.481448 78, 82, 119, 120
WAB Comprehension2350.880.51 (0.18, 1.59)0.421.27748 75, 111
WAB Repetition32470.810.23 (0.55, 1.07)0.321.28953 75, 94, 124
Pyramids and Palm Trees (score not specified or average of words and pictures)51230.790.43 (0.41, 1.17)−0.391.311553 28, 30, 80, 115, 136
WAB Naming (object naming)32470.780.23 (0.51, 1.04)0.301.11953 75, 94, 124
WAB Aphasia Quotient2810.770.33 (0.31, 1.22)0.551.61653 75, 94
WAB Praxis21580.710.23 (0.39, 1.04)0.690.88557 75, 124
WAB Naming (responsive speech)32470.700.23 (0.44, 0.96)0.330.85757 75, 94, 124
WAB Naming (sentence completion)32470.650.23 (0.39, 0.91)0.300.79757 75, 94, 124
WAIS Vocabulary33250.620.30 (0.28, 0.96)0.400.77662 62, 86, 94
WAB Reading and writing (writing)21520.620.24 (0.29, 0.95)0.470.64462 75, 124
WAB Comprehension (yes/no)22270.570.14 (0.30, 0.84)0.400.63462 94, 124
WAB Spontaneous Speech (content)22270.570.19 (0.30, 0.84)0.540.64462 94, 124
ACE Naming21700.550.24 (0.21, 0.88)0.360.76362 85, 102
Letter Fluency3914940.530.36 (0.42, 0.65)−0.712.196567 29, 68, 74, 129
WAB Reading and Writing (reading)21710.490.22 (0.18, 0.80)0.300.51367 75, 124
WAB Comprehension (word recognition)22270.470.19 (0.21, 0.74)0.340.53367 94, 124
ACE Language21700.390.24 (0.06, 0.72)0.120.70273 85, 102
Verb Similarity Task2690.390.35 (−0.10, 0.87)0.300.51273 108, 114
WAIS Information33300.350.28 (0.04, 0.67)0.310.52273 60, 62, 94
Sentence Comprehension42210.320.28 (0.04, 0.60)−0.440.54279 93, 94, 97, 98
ACE Verbal fluency (letter and category fluency)21700.290.24 (−0.04, 0.62)0.190.42179 85, 102
WAB Construction (calculation)21620.260.23 (−0.05, 0.58)−0.260.34179 75, 124
Oral Praxis2740.190.33 (−0.27, 0.65)−0.170.83085 68, 123
Boston Naming Test2213520.170.30 (0.04, 0.29)−2.241.11085 29, 68, 74, 129
Token Test41820.170.32 (−0.15, 0.49)−0.470.78085 29, 68, 74, 129
WAB Construction (drawing)2151−0.160.23 (−0.49, 0.16)−0.17−0.10085 75, 124
Category Fluency4324810.150.30 (0.06, 0.24)−5.441.35085 25, 28, 30, 31, 40, 44, 60, 68, 72
Phrase Repetition3158−0.070.30 (−0.40, 0.26)−0.660.11092 93, 97, 98
Calculations4227−0.060.28 (−0.33, 0.22)−0.820.14092 25, 93, 97, 98