Phonological and semantic verbal fluency: a comparative study in hearing-impaired and normal-hearing people

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of hearing-impaired and normal-hearing people on phonologic and semantic verbal fluency tests. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 48 hearing-impaired adults and 42 individuals (control group) with no hearing or language complaints. Sociodemographic data were collected, as well as the characteristics of hearing loss and of the electronic auditory device (hearing aids or cochlear implant), when relevant. Verbal fluency was tested in two different tasks: by semantic category (animals) and by phonology (letter F). RESULTS: Educational level has influenced the results of fluency tests in both groups, with more evidence in the hearing-impaired subjects (p