Aim of the study:
Language deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves word-finding difficulties which may hinder conversational abilities. A well-designed language program may support verbal fluency and highlight the potential of non-pharmacological interventions. This study assessed the effect of a self-designed language stimulating program on verbal fluency in mild and moderate AD.

Subject or material and methods:
The study involved 54 Alzheimer’s patients and a control group (ConG) of 34 patients with mild and moderate AD, with only intervention group (IntG) patients participating in the program. Every 3 months, category (CFT) and letter (LFT) fluency were assessed in both groups, along with clustering and switching evaluation across 60s time interval.

Results:
The program enhanced verbal fluency in patients with AD, as evidenced in the VFT. Patients generated more words from broad categories, making few errors. The CFT results were higher than those of the LFT. Clustering was more frequent in semantic tasks, particularly in the animal category, while phonemic fluency involved more switching, suggesting differences in retrieval strategies.

Discussion:
The study confirms that a structured language program supports verbal fluency in mild-to-moderate AD, although this finding is not consistent across the studies. Although there might be short-term benefits for patients, the long-term clinical significance requires further investigation. Maintaining motivation in AD persons is crucial for cognitive training effectiveness, as higher engagement correlates with improved outcomes.

Conclusions:
Our findings highlight the importance of implementing language programs as part of non-pharmacological interventions in AD to maintain verbal fluency in phonemic and semantic categories.