Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable

Validation Study of the ExéSem Battery Designed to Differentiate the Contribution of Executive Functions in Semantic Disorders

France140 participantsStarted 2026-09-09

Plain-language summary

This protocol describes a study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the ExéSem battery, developed to differentiate semantic deficits from executive semantic impairments in patients with post-lesional or neurodegenerative anomia. Currently available tools do not allow a straightforward distinction between these deficits, limiting diagnostic accuracy and clinical management. The ExéSem battery was developed through a collaboration between Hospices Civils de Lyon, the University of Mons, and Laval University to address this gap. The battery includes three main tasks: (1) a dual task combining semantic judgment and semantic matching using identical items, (2) a word-picture matching task, and (3) a rapid naming task. Each task is designed to manipulate the level of executive control required to access semantic representations. This allows the identification of whether performance declines under increased executive demand, thereby distinguishing executive-related semantic impairments.

Who can participate

Age range50 Years – 90 Years

SexALL

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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * \- Participants without cognitive impairment * Participant aged 50 to 90 years (inclusive); * Participant whose native language is French * Participant affiliated with or entitled to a social security scheme; * Participants who have been informed and have not objected. * Participants with cognitive impairment * Participant aged 50 to 90 years (inclusive); * Participant whose native language is French * Participant receiving memory care with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, at the stage of minor or major neurocognitive impairment, according to the 2011 NIA-AA criteria (McKahn et al., 2011), or with a diagnosis of vascular neurocognitive impairment according to the VasCog-2-WSO diagnostic criteria (Sachdev et al., 2025), or with a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia with semantic variant (Gorno-Tempini et al., 2011). * Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 20/30, within the 6 months preceding enrollment; * Participants affiliated with or entitled to a social security scheme; * Participants who have been informed and have not objected. Exclusion Criteria: * \- For all participants: * Severe, progressive, or unstable medical conditions that may interfere with assessment variables (epilepsy, acute psychiatric or psychotic disorders, visual hallucinations, acute infection); * Substance use that may affect cognitive performance; * Deafness or blindness that may compromise the participant's assessment or participation in tasks and scales; * Par…

What they're measuring

Score obtained on the ExéSem battery

Timeframe: At enrollment

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07573046

SponsorHospices Civils de Lyon

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2029-08-31