The Italian Face-Name Association Test (ItFNAT): a preliminary validation of three parallel versions

Background and objectives: Associating names with faces is crucial for social interactions and reflects cognitive health. To address the need for reliable tools to assess associative memory, we developed and validated the Italian Face-Name Associative Test (ItFNAT), a tool allows clinicians to monitor cognitive functioning and detect early signs of cognitive decline. Materials and methods: 101 Italian participants (51 females) aged 18–80 years completed the three parallel versions of the ItFNAT, which assessed immediate recall (IR), delayed free recall (DFR), and delayed recall with cues (DTR). ItFNAT was administered alongside other neuropsychological tests to explore its relationship with memory and attention. Results: ItFNAT demonstrated high internal consistency across its three versions. Principal Component Analysis revealed that IR, DFR, and DTR loaded strongly onto a single factor in each version. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA indicated no significant differences in scores across versions. Non-parametric analyses showed that years of education significantly influenced all three scores, while age negatively correlated with DTR. Spearman’s correlations revealed strong associations between ItFNAT scores and other widespread memory and attentive tests. Discussions: This study introduces the ItFNAT, a test designed to assess cross-modal associative memory. It includes three parallel versions with good internal consistency, and minimal score differences. Scores—IR, DFR, and DTR—reflect a shared underlying cognitive construct, correlating with both traditional memory tests and scales assessing working memory and attention. Education significantly influenced all three scores, while age negatively impacted DTR. Future research should refine its application for tracking cognitive function and detecting neurodegenerative changes.