Evaluating Language Comprehension in Alzheimer's disease: the use of the Token Test

objective: to analyze the psychometric properties of the token test (tt), a verbal comprehension test, and its applicability to the diagnosis of mild alzheimer's disease (ad). methods: one hundred and sixty participants (80 ad and 80 controls) performed the tt and a short battery of neuropsychological tests designed to evaluate general cognitive status, working memory and executive functions. internal consistency, factor structure, correlation with other measures and group comparisons were evaluated. results: the test evinced good internal consistency and a bi-factorial structure (related to comprehension and attention). differences between ad and controls were significant, however the tt presented only moderate sensitivity and specificity for the ad diagnosis. conclusion: the tt showed evidence of good psychometric properties and adequacy for characterizing comprehension deficits in ad, but it was not an appropriate test for the ad detection and diagnosis.