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Neuropsychological characteristics of mild cognitive impairment subgroups.

TitleNeuropsychological characteristics of mild cognitive impairment subgroups.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2006
AuthorsLopez, OL, Becker, JT, Jagust, WJ, Fitzpatrick, A, Carlson, MC, DeKosky, ST, Breitner, J, Lyketsos, CG, Jones, B, Kawas, C, Kuller, LH
JournalJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
Volume77
Issue2
Pagination159-65
Date Published2006 Feb
ISSN0022-3050
KeywordsAged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Amnesia, Cognition Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychometrics, Reference Values
Abstract<p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To describe the neuropsychological characteristics of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subgroups identified in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cognition study.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>MCI was classified as MCI-amnestic type (MCI-AT): patients with documented memory deficits but otherwise normal cognitive function; and MCI-multiple cognitive deficits type (MCI-MCDT): impairment of at least one cognitive domain (not including memory), or one abnormal test in at least two other domains, but who had not crossed the dementia threshold. The MCI subjects did not have systemic, neurological, or psychiatric disorders likely to affect cognition.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>MCI-AT (n = 10) had worse verbal and non-verbal memory performance than MCI-MCDT (n = 28) or normal controls (n = 374). By contrast, MCI-MCDT had worse language, psychomotor speed, fine motor control, and visuoconstructional function than MCI-AT or normal controls. MCI-MCDT subjects had memory deficits, though they were less pronounced than in MCI-AT. Of the MCI-MCDT cases, 22 (78.5%) had memory deficits, and 6 (21.5%) did not. MCI-MCDT with memory disorders had more language deficits than MCI-MCDT without memory disorders. By contrast, MCI-MCDT without memory deficits had more fine motor control deficits than MCI-MCDT with memory deficits.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>The most frequent form of MCI was the MCI-MCDT with memory deficits. However, the identification of memory impaired MCI groups did not reflect the true prevalence of MCI in a population, as 16% of all MCI cases and 21.5% of the MCI-MCDT cases did not have memory impairment. Study of idiopathic amnestic and non-amnestic forms of MCI is essential for an understanding of the aetiology of MCI.</p>
DOI10.1136/jnnp.2004.045567
Alternate JournalJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
PubMed ID16103044
PubMed Central IDPMC2077558
Grant ListAG15928 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG015928 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R56 AG020098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
MH07033 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-15103 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-35129 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG020098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
AG20098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States