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Gasparini M, Scandola M, Amato S, Salati E, Facci E, Gobbetto V, Bruno G, Vanacore N, Gambina G, Moro V. Normative data beyond the total scores: a process score analysis of the Rey's 15 word test in healthy aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2605-2613. [PMID: 38253743 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07330-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Rey's 15 words test is currently the most frequently used task in Italy to detect memory deficits in AD. The current standardised version is however quite outdated and lacks some cognitive indexes which may highlight problems in recall or encoding processes. The aim of the study was to update the normative data of the test and to consider some variables which were not accounted for in the original study, that is, recognition, learning rate and forgetfulness. We also adopted the process scores approach to ascertain the effects of serial position (primacy and recency). METHODS Three hundred ninety-six healthy participants were recruited. To detect any variables useful for intercepting the early stages of dementia, a group of 208 patients in the very early stage of AD was also recruited. Linear models were used to calculate the corrections scores for age, education, and gender, and ROCs were used to calculate cut-offs based on the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity and the positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS All main indexes showed excellent Area Under the Curve (0.90-1), strong sensitivity and PPVs for distinguishing between the HCs and AD participants. However, the Intrusions index performed poorly in all parameters. CONCLUSION The study provides updated, normative data which may be reliably used as a cognitive marker to detect early AD. The strength of the study is the large sample size and the number of indexes which make it possible to explore the utility of memory test process scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Gasparini
- Cognitive and Language Rehabilitation Center "Sinapsy", Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | - Emanuela Salati
- Department Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Bruno
- Department Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Valentina Moro
- Department Human Sciences, Verona University, Verona, Italy
- Verona Memory Center - CEMS, Verona, Italy
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Servais A, Barbeau EJ, Bastin C. Contextual novelty detection and novelty-related memory enhancement in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Cortex 2024; 172:72-85. [PMID: 38237229 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Though novelty processing plays a critical role in memory function, little is known about how it influences learning in memory-impaired populations, such as amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). METHODS 21 aMCI patients and 22 age- and education-matched healthy older participants performed two tasks-(i) an oddball paradigm where fractals that were often repeated (60 % of the stimuli), less frequently repeated (20 %), or novel (presented once each) were shown to assess novelty preference (longer viewing time for novel than familiar stimuli), and (ii) a Von Restorff paradigm assessing novelty-related effects on memory. Participants studied 22 lists of 10 words. Among these lists, 18 contained an isolated word different from the others by its distinctive aspect, here the font size (90-point, 120-point or 150-point against 60-point for non-isolated words). The remaining four were control lists without isolated words. After studying each list, participants freely recalled the maximum words possible. RESULTS For the oddball task, a group-by-stimulus type ANOVA on median viewing times revealed a significant effect of stimulus type, but not of group. Both groups spent more time on novel stimuli. For the Von Restorff task, both aMCI and healthy controls recalled the isolated words (presented in 120-point or 150-point, but not 90-point) better than others (excluding primacy and recency effects). Novelty-related memory benefit-gain factor-was computed as the difference between the recall scores for isolated and other words. A group-by-font size ANOVA on gain factors revealed no group effect, nor interaction, suggesting that aMCI patients benefited from novelty, alike controls. CONCLUSION Novelty preference and the boosting effect of isolation-related novelty on subsequent recall seem preserved despite impaired episodic memory in aMCI patients. This is discussed in the light of contemporary divergent theories regarding the relationship between novelty and memory, as either being independent or parts of a continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Servais
- Centre de recherche Cerveau et Cognition, CNRS UMR5549, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel J Barbeau
- Centre de recherche Cerveau et Cognition, CNRS UMR5549, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France
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Mizrahi R, Cromheecke O, Salmon DP, Gollan TH. Disruption of the serial position effect as an early marker of Alzheimer's disease in Spanish-English bilinguals. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024; 30:162-171. [PMID: 37340671 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723000310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present study examined if disruption of serial position effects in list recall could serve as an early marker of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Spanish-English bilinguals. METHODS We tested 20 participants initially diagnosed as cognitively normal or with mild cognitive impairment who declined and eventually received a diagnosis of AD (decliners), and 37 who remained cognitively stable (controls) over at least 2 years. Participants were tested on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) Word List Learning Test in English or Spanish as part of an annual neuropsychological evaluation. RESULTS Compared to controls, decliners exhibited significantly reduced recall including reduced primacy scores (i.e., items recalled from the first three list items on Trial 1), whereas recency scores (i.e., items recalled from the last 3 list items on Trial 1) were equivalent in decliners and controls. Further analyses suggested that the sensitivity of the primacy effect to preclinical AD was initially stronger in participants tested in Spanish, a surprising finding given that the CERAD was developed for English speakers. However, in the subsequent year of testing, primacy scores declined to the same level regardless of language of testing. CONCLUSIONS Several list learning measures may facilitate early diagnosis of AD in Spanish-English bilinguals, possibly including the relatively understudied primacy effect. Additional studies are needed to investigate the possibility that linguistic or demographic variables might modulate sensitivity of list learning tests to preclinical AD, which could lead to broader improvements in their utility for early diagnosis of AD in all populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reina Mizrahi
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Oona Cromheecke
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David P Salmon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Tamar H Gollan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Stricker NH, Stricker JL, Frank RD, Fan WZ, Christianson TJ, Patel JS, Karstens AJ, Kremers WK, Machulda MM, Fields JA, Graff-Radford J, Jack CR, Knopman DS, Mielke MM, Petersen RC. Stricker Learning Span criterion validity: a remote self-administered multi-device compatible digital word list memory measure shows similar ability to differentiate amyloid and tau PET-defined biomarker groups as in-person Auditory Verbal Learning Test. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024; 30:138-151. [PMID: 37385974 PMCID: PMC10756923 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723000322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Stricker Learning Span (SLS) is a computer-adaptive digital word list memory test specifically designed for remote assessment and self-administration on a web-based multi-device platform (Mayo Test Drive). We aimed to establish criterion validity of the SLS by comparing its ability to differentiate biomarker-defined groups to the person-administered Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). METHOD Participants (N = 353; mean age = 71, SD = 11; 93% cognitively unimpaired [CU]) completed the AVLT during an in-person visit, the SLS remotely (within 3 months) and had brain amyloid and tau PET scans available (within 3 years). Overlapping groups were formed for 1) those on the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum (amyloid PET positive, A+, n = 125) or not (A-, n = 228), and those with biological AD (amyloid and tau PET positive, A+T+, n = 55) vs no evidence of AD pathology (A-T-, n = 195). Analyses were repeated among CU participants only. RESULTS The SLS and AVLT showed similar ability to differentiate biomarker-defined groups when comparing AUROCs (p's > .05). In logistic regression models, SLS contributed significantly to predicting biomarker group beyond age, education, and sex, including when limited to CU participants. Medium (A- vs A+) to large (A-T- vs A+T+) unadjusted effect sizes were observed for both SLS and AVLT. Learning and delay variables were similar in terms of ability to separate biomarker groups. CONCLUSIONS Remotely administered SLS performed similarly to in-person-administered AVLT in its ability to separate biomarker-defined groups, providing evidence of criterion validity. Results suggest the SLS may be sensitive to detecting subtle objective cognitive decline in preclinical AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki H. Stricker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - John L. Stricker
- Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ryan D. Frank
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Winnie Z. Fan
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Jay S. Patel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aimee J. Karstens
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Walter K. Kremers
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mary M. Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Julie A. Fields
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michelle M. Mielke
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Gicas KM, Benitah K, Thornton AE, Petersson AM, Jones PW, Stubbs JL, Jones AA, Panenka WJ, Lang DJ, Leonova O, Vila-Rodriguez F, Barr AM, Buchanan T, Su W, Vertinsky AT, Rauscher A, MacEwan GW, Honer WG. Using serial position effects to investigate memory dysfunction in homeless and precariously housed persons. Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 37:1710-1727. [PMID: 36790121 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2023.2178513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Background: Homeless and precariously housed persons exhibit significant memory impairment, but the component processes underlying memory dysfunction have not been explored. We examined the serial position profile (i.e., primacy and recency effects) of verbal memory and its neuroanatomical correlates to identify the nature of memory difficulties in a large cohort of homeless and precariously housed adults. Method: The sample included 227 community-dwelling homeless and precariously housed adults. Serial position scores (primacy, middle, recency) were computed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare percent recall from each word list region. Age-adjusted correlations assessed associations between serial position scores and other cognitive domains (attention, processing speed, executive functioning). Regression analyses were conducted to examine regional brain volumes of interest (hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) and their differential associations with serial position scores. Results: The serial position profile was characterized by a diminished recency effect in relation to the primacy effect. Serial position scores positively correlated with sustained attention and cognitive control. Larger hippocampal volume was associated with better primacy item recall. DLPFC volume was not associated with serial position recall after adjustment for false discovery rate. There were no associations between regional brain volumes and recency item recall. Conclusion: Our results suggest that commonly reported memory difficulties in homeless and precariously housed adults are likely secondary to a core deficit in executive control due to compromised frontal lobe functioning. These findings have implications for cognitive rehabilitation in this complex and vulnerable group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie Benitah
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Allen E Thornton
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Anna M Petersson
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Paul W Jones
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Jacob L Stubbs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Andrea A Jones
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - William J Panenka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Donna J Lang
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Olga Leonova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Alasdair M Barr
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Tari Buchanan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Wayne Su
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Alexander Rauscher
- Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - G William MacEwan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - William G Honer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Mental Health and Substance Use Services Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
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Dörr F, Schäfer S, Öhman F, Linz N, Bodin TH, Skoog J, Zettergren A, Kern S, Skoog I, Tröger J. Dissociating memory and executive function impairment through temporal features in a word list verbal learning task. Neuropsychologia 2023; 189:108679. [PMID: 37683887 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is an established verbal learning test commonly used to quantify memory impairments due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) both at a clinical dementia stage or prodromal stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Focal memory impairment-as quantified e.g. by the RAVLT-at an MCI stage is referred to as amnestic MCI (aMCI) and is often regarded as the cognitive phenotype of prodromal AD. However, recent findings suggest that not only learning and memory but also other cognitive domains, especially executive functions (EF) and processing speed (PS), influence verbal learning performance. This research investigates whether additional temporal features extracted from audio recordings from a participant's RAVLT response can better dissociate memory and EF in such tasks and eventually help to better describe MCI subtypes. 675 age-matched participants from the H70 Swedish birth cohort were included in this analysis; 68 participants were classified as MCI (33 aMCI and 35 due to executive impairment). RAVLT performances were recorded and temporal features extracted. Novel temporal features were correlated with established neuropsychological tests measuring EF and PS. Lastly, the downstream diagnostic potential of temporal features was estimated using group differences and a machine learning (ML) classification scenario. Temporal features correlated moderately with measures of EF and PS. Performance of an ML classifier could be improved by adding temporal features to traditional counts. We conclude that RAVLT temporal features are in general related to EF and that they might be capable of dissociating memory and EF in a word list learning task.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fredrik Öhman
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Timothy Hadarsson Bodin
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Skoog
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Zettergren
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Silke Kern
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ingmar Skoog
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Gicas KM, Honer WG, Petyuk VA, Wilson RS, Boyle PA, Leurgans SE, Schneider JA, De Jager PL, Bennett DA. Primacy and recency effects in verbal memory are differentially associated with post-mortem frontal cortex p-tau 217 and 202 levels in a mixed sample of community-dwelling older adults. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023; 45:770-785. [PMID: 37440260 PMCID: PMC10787031 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2232583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Serial position effects in verbal memory are associated with in vivo fluid biomarkers and neuropathological outcomes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To extend the biomarker literature, associations between serial position scores and postmortem levels of brain phosphorylated tau (p-tau) were examined, in the context of Braak stage of neurofibrillary tangle progression. METHOD Participants were 1091 community-dwelling adults (Mage = 80.2, 68.9% female) from the Rush University Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project who were non-demented at enrollment and followed for a mean of 9.2 years until death. The CERAD Word List Memory test administered at baseline and within 1 year of death was used to calculate serial position (primacy, recency) and total recall scores. Proteomic analyses quantified p-tau 217 and 202 from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex samples. Linear regressions assessed associations between cognitive scores and p-tau with Braak stage as a moderator. RESULTS Cognitive status proximal to death indicated 34.7% were unimpaired, 26.2% met criteria for MCI, and 39.0% for dementia. Better baseline primacy recall, but not recency recall, was associated with lower p-tau 217 levels across Braak stages. Delayed recall showed a similar pattern as primacy. There was no main effect of immediate recall, but an interaction with Braak stages indicated a negative association with p-tau 217 level only in Braak V-VI. Within 1 year of death, there were no main effects for cognitive scores; however, recency, immediate and delayed recall scores interacted with Braak stage showing better recall was associated with lower p-tau 217 only in Braak V-VI. No associations were observed with p-tau 202. CONCLUSIONS Primacy recall measured in non-demented adults may be sensitive to emergent tau phosphorylation that occurs in the earliest stages of AD. Serial position scores may complement the routinely used delayed recall score and p-tau biomarkers to detect preclinical AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William G Honer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Vladislav A Petyuk
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Robert S Wilson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Patricia A Boyle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sue E Leurgans
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Julie A Schneider
- Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Philip L De Jager
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center
| | - David A Bennett
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Weitzner DS, Calamia M. Serial position effects and mild cognitive impairment: a comparison of measures and scoring approaches. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023; 45:813-824. [PMID: 37254866 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2214298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Serial position effects (SPEs) have shown promise as predictors of future cognitive decline and conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD), even when accounting for total learning and memory scores. However, conflicting results have been found in the literature, which may be at least partially related to the many ways in which SPEs are calculated. The current study aimed to address the discrepancies in the literature by examining whether one method of analyzing SPEs is more sensitive at distinguishing those with and without psychometrically defined MCI. METHOD 86 older adult participants (57 healthy comparison, 29 MCI) completed the California Verbal Learning Test, Third Edition (CVLT3) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), along with measures assessing multiple cognitive domains. Each participant completed two visits, between 3 and 9 days apart, with a different memory measure administered on each day. The standard scoring approach and the regional scoring approach to calculating SPEs were compared. RESULTS Results showed that, when significant differences were found, SPEs were always reduced in the MCI group compared to the healthy comparison group when using regional scoring; however, results were not as consistent when using standard scoring. Further, lower primacy than recency scores were only consistently seen in the MCI group when using the RAVLT but not the CVLT3. ROC analyses showed that only regional scoring of SPEs from delayed recall of the RAVLT and the CVLT3 accurately discriminated between those with and without MCI. CONCLUSION Regional scoring of SPEs may be more sensitive at identifying subtle cognitive decline compared to standard scoring. However, the specific measure that is used to analyze SPEs can impact the interpretation of findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Calamia
- Psychology Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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Gicas KM, Honer WG, Leurgans SE, Wilson RS, Boyle PA, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. Longitudinal change in serial position scores in older adults with entorhinal and hippocampal neuropathologies. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:561-571. [PMID: 36062540 PMCID: PMC10152983 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Serial position scores on verbal memory tests are sensitive to early Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related neuropathological changes that occur in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. The current study examines longitudinal change in serial position scores as markers of subtle cognitive decline in older adults who may be in preclinical or at-risk states for AD. METHODS This study uses longitudinal data from the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Participants (n = 141) were included if they did not have dementia at enrollment, completed follow-up assessments, and died and were classified as Braak stage I or II. Memory tests were used to calculate serial position (primacy, recency), total recall, and episodic memory composite scores. A neuropathological evaluation quantified AD, vascular, and Lewy body pathologies. Mixed effects models were used to examine change in memory scores. Neuropathologies and covariates (age, sex, education, APOE e4) were examined as moderators. RESULTS Primacy scores declined (β = -.032, p < .001), whereas recency scores increased (β = .021, p = .012). No change was observed in standard memory measures. Greater neurofibrillary tangle density and atherosclerosis explained 10.4% of the variance in primacy decline. Neuropathologies were not associated with recency change. CONCLUSIONS In older adults with hippocampal neuropathologies, primacy score decline may be a sensitive marker of early AD-related changes. Tangle density and atherosclerosis had additive effects on decline. Recency improvement may reflect a compensatory mechanism. Monitoring for changes in serial position scores may be a useful in vivo method of tracking incipient AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William G Honer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sue E Leurgans
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
| | - Robert S Wilson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
| | - Patricia A Boyle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
| | - Julie A Schneider
- Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
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Do C, Suhr JA. Gender differences in the serial position among older adults. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023; 45:61-68. [PMID: 36880743 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2187761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are gender disparities in age of diagnosis with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia, which may be related to general female advantages in verbal memory across aging. Further examination of the serial position effect (SPE) may provide an avenue for earlier diagnosis of MCI/dementia among women. METHOD 338 cognitively healthy adults aged 50+ (110 men; 228 women) were administered the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) List Learning task as part of dementia screening. We examined whether the SPE could be demonstrated on Trial 1 and delayed recall, and whether SPE patterns were consistent across genders, using mixed measure ANOVAs. Using regression, we also examined whether gender, SPE components, or their interactions predicted RBANS Delayed Memory Index (DMI) performance. Using cluster analyses, we identified a group with reduced primacy relative to recency on Trial 1 and a group without. We used ANOVA to examine whether clusters differed in DMI scores and whether this was moderated by gender. RESULTS We demonstrated the prototypical SPE on Trial 1. On delayed recall, we found reduced recency compared to primacy and middle performance. As expected, men exhibited worse performance on the DMI. However, gender did not interact with SPE. Primacy and middle, but not recency, performance on Trial 1 predicted DMI scores, as did the recency ratio. These relationships were not moderated by gender. Finally, participants with better primacy than recency on Trial 1 (N = 187) exhibited higher performance on DMI than participants with better recency than primacy (N = 151). Gender did not interact with cluster membership. CONCLUSION Our results have important clinical implications in assessment, where focusing on Trial 1 primacy performance and loss of recency between Trial 1 and delayed recall may help to address gender-related delays in age of diagnosis of MCI or dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cardinal Do
- Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States
| | - Julie A Suhr
- Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States
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The Role of Entropy in Construct Specification Equations (CSE) to Improve the Validity of Memory Tests: Extension to Word Lists. ENTROPY 2022; 24:e24070934. [PMID: 35885157 PMCID: PMC9324731 DOI: 10.3390/e24070934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Metrological methods for word learning list tests can be developed with an information theoretical approach extending earlier simple syntax studies. A classic Brillouin entropy expression is applied to the analysis of the Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test RAVLT (immediate recall), where more ordered tasks—with less entropy—are easier to perform. The findings from three case studies are described, including 225 assessments of the NeuroMET2 cohort of persons spanning a cognitive spectrum from healthy older adults to patients with dementia. In the first study, ordinality in the raw scores is compensated for, and item and person attributes are separated with the Rasch model. In the second, the RAVLT IR task difficulty, including serial position effects (SPE), particularly Primacy and Recency, is adequately explained (Pearson’s correlation R=0.80) with construct specification equations (CSE). The third study suggests multidimensionality is introduced by SPE, as revealed through goodness-of-fit statistics of the Rasch analyses. Loading factors common to two kinds of principal component analyses (PCA) for CSE formulation and goodness-of-fit logistic regressions are identified. More consistent ways of defining and analysing memory task difficulties, including SPE, can maintain the unique metrological properties of the Rasch model and improve the estimates and understanding of a person’s memory abilities on the path towards better-targeted and more fit-for-purpose diagnostics.
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Meyer A, Handabaka I, Ehrensperger MM, Gschwandtner U, Hatz F, Monsch AU, Stieglitz RD, Fuhr P. A Comparison of Serial Position Effects in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Parkinson's Disease or to Alzheimer's Disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2021; 49:170-178. [PMID: 32634809 DOI: 10.1159/000507757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The first (primacy region) and last (recency region) items of a word list are generally better memorized than items from the middle region. The recency effect depends on short-term memory (STM) and the primacy effect on long-term memory (LTM), where verbal information is transferred from STM into LTM by maintenance rehearsal. We compared the serial position effects (SPE) between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Parkinson's disease (PD), i.e., PD-MCI, and patients with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (AD-MCI), and evaluated the influence of SPE and frontostriatal deficits on verbal memory recall. METHODS Four similar groups of subjects participated in the study: 26 PD-MCI patients, 26 cognitively normal patients with PD (PD-CN), 26 AD-MCI patients, and 26 normal controls (NC). Verbal episodic memory, verbal span, attentional capacity, executive functions, and verbal working memory performance were assessed. Measures for primacy and recency regions were defined at the first trial of a 16-items word list. Hierarchical regression models were used to investigate the contribution of frontostriatal deficits beyond SPE on verbal memory recall performance ("long-delay free recall") in PD and AD patients. RESULTS Primacy effects were significantly diminished in both PD-MCI and AD-MCI patients relative to NC and PD-CN (all p < 0.01). Compared to PD-MCI patients, AD-MCI patients exhibited significantly worse "delayed-recall 'savings'." Reduced primacy effect was predictive for decreased recall performance in PD and AD. The conducted hierarchical regression model revealed that in PD, but not in AD patients, performance of attention and executive function significantly increased the prediction of free recalled words. CONCLUSIONS Reduced recall performance is likely due to impaired transition of newly learned material from STM into LTM in AD and in PD. Whereas AD-MCI patients suffer from a storage deficit, the similarly reduced recall performance found in patients with PD-MCI may additionally be related to deficient attentional and executive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Meyer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland,
| | - Ivana Handabaka
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael M Ehrensperger
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ute Gschwandtner
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Hatz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas U Monsch
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rolf D Stieglitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Fuhr
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Kocagoncu E, Klimovich-Gray A, Hughes LE, Rowe JB. Evidence and implications of abnormal predictive coding in dementia. Brain 2021; 144:3311-3321. [PMID: 34240109 PMCID: PMC8677549 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of cognitive deficits and neuropathological processes associated with dementias has encouraged divergence in pathophysiological explanations of disease. Here, we review an alternative framework that emphasizes convergent critical features of cognitive pathophysiology. Rather than the loss of ‘memory centres’ or ‘language centres’, or singular neurotransmitter systems, cognitive deficits are interpreted in terms of aberrant predictive coding in hierarchical neural networks. This builds on advances in normative accounts of brain function, specifically the Bayesian integration of beliefs and sensory evidence in which hierarchical predictions and prediction errors underlie memory, perception, speech and behaviour. We describe how analogous impairments in predictive coding in parallel neurocognitive systems can generate diverse clinical phenomena, including the characteristics of dementias. The review presents evidence from behavioural and neurophysiological studies of perception, language, memory and decision-making. The reformulation of cognitive deficits in terms of predictive coding has several advantages. It brings diverse clinical phenomena into a common framework; it aligns cognitive and movement disorders; and it makes specific predictions on cognitive physiology that support translational and experimental medicine studies. The insights into complex human cognitive disorders from the predictive coding framework may therefore also inform future therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Kocagoncu
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Laura E Hughes
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Cambridge Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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14
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Gicas KM, Honer WG, Wilson RS, Boyle PA, Leurgans SE, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. Association of serial position scores on memory tests and hippocampal-related neuropathologic outcomes. Neurology 2020; 95:e3303-e3312. [PMID: 33144516 PMCID: PMC7836661 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000010952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether serial position scores in verbal memory differentiate hippocampal-related neuropathologic outcomes, we examined these associations in a sample of older adults without dementia who underwent autopsy. METHODS We used data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal clinical-pathologic cohort study of community-dwelling adults. A total of 701 participants (mean age 82.7, 71.2% female) completed baseline cognitive evaluations and underwent brain autopsy to identify pathologic Alzheimer disease (AD), TDP-43 inclusions (defining limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy [LATE]), and hippocampal sclerosis. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease word list memory test immediate recall trials provided serial position scores, which index the proportion of words recalled from the beginning (primacy scores) and end (recency scores) of a word list. Binary and ordinal logistic regressions examined associations between serial position scores and neuropathologic outcomes. Secondary outcomes included Alzheimer dementia and mild cognitive impairment proximate to death. RESULTS Primacy and recency scores were uncorrelated (r = 0.07). Each SD of better primacy score was associated with lower likelihood of neuropathologic changes (24% lower LATE, 31% lower pathologic AD, 37% lower hippocampal sclerosis). For pathologic AD, better baseline primacy scores were associated with a 36% lower likelihood of comorbidity with LATE or hippocampal sclerosis. Primacy scores better discriminated between clinical diagnoses proximate to death, including those with mild cognitive impairment compared to no impairment. Recency scores showed weaker or no associations. CONCLUSIONS Primacy scores may be particularly sensitive markers of AD and related hippocampal neuropathologies. The differential predictive value of serial position scores suggests they offer complementary information about disease outcomes in addition to the routinely used total recall scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Gicas
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
| | - William G Honer
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Robert S Wilson
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Patricia A Boyle
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Sue E Leurgans
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Julie A Schneider
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - David A Bennett
- From the Department of Psychology (K.M.G.), York University, Toronto; Department of Psychiatry (W.G.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada; and Departments of Neurological Sciences (R.S.W., S.E.L., D.A.B.), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (R.S.W., P.A.B.), and Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
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15
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Talamonti D, Koscik R, Johnson S, Bruno D. Predicting Early Mild Cognitive Impairment With Free Recall: The Primacy of Primacy. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 35:133-142. [PMID: 30994919 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Serial position effects have been found to discriminate between normal and pathological aging, and to predict conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different scoring methods have been used to estimate the accuracy of these predictions. In the current study, we investigated delayed primacy as predictor of progression to early MCI over established diagnostic memory methods. We also compared three serial position methods (regional, standard and delayed scores) to determine which measure is the most sensitive in differentiating between individuals who develop early MCI from a baseline of cognitively intact older adults. METHOD Data were analyzed with binary logistic regression and with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC). Baseline serial position scores were collected using the Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test and used to predict conversion to early MCI. The diagnosis of early MCI was obtained through statistical algorithm and consequent consensus conference. One hundred and ninety-one participants were included in the analyses. All participants were aged 60 or above and cognitively intact at baseline. RESULTS The binary logistic regression showed that delayed primacy was the only predictor of conversion to early MCI, when compared to total and delayed recall. ROC curves showed that delayed primacy was still the most sensitive predictor of progression to early MCI when compared to other serial position measures. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with previous studies and support the hypothesis that delayed primacy may be a useful cognitive marker of early detection of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Talamonti
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rebecca Koscik
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sterling Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Wm. S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Davide Bruno
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Steffener J, Rana Z, Dancey S, Chang YY, Hernandez FR, Guy C. Screen position effects on task performance in a delayed match to sample task. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 208:103123. [PMID: 32585434 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of working memory have used immediate and delayed recall of lists of items. Serial position effects are the phenomena where items at the beginning and end of a studied list are recalled differentially from items in the middle of the list. In matching versions of the task, study items may be presented serially or simultaneously in a grid. After a delay a single probe item is presented for which the participant determines whether or not it was in the study set. The effects of the position of an item when studied on a screen are currently not well understood and are the focus of the current work. Findings from a delayed match to sample task in 49 healthy young adults with 1 to 9 items presented in a 3 by 3 grid, demonstrate that the column of the studied items affect response time and accuracy. The effects of position on accuracy also significantly interact with task demands. The importance of screen position effects is demonstrated with simulations using the mean accuracies split by task demands and screen locations. Simulations demonstrate the possible range of accuracies based on screen effects when the number of trials presented to an individual is less than 20 for each task demand. This has important implications when a small number of trials are administered using randomly generated stimuli which is often the case in neuroimaging studies where tasks are delivered under constrained time limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Steffener
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Zoha Rana
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sonia Dancey
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Yu-Yao Chang
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Rosales Hernandez
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Courtney Guy
- Neural Cognitive Mapping Laboratory, Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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17
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Novelty processing and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease: A review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 100:237-249. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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18
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Is there a specific memory signature associated with Aβ-PET positivity in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment? Neurobiol Aging 2019; 77:94-103. [PMID: 30784816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is a clinical entity with various potential etiologies including but not limited to Alzheimer's disease. We examined whether a positive ([18F]Florbetapir) beta amyloid positron emission tomography scan, supporting underlying Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology, was associated with specific memory deficits in 48 patients with aMCI (33 beta amyloid positive, 15 beta amyloid negative). Memory was evaluated using an autobiographical fluency task and a word-list learning task with 2 different encoding types (shallow/incidental versus deep/intentional). Compared with 40 beta amyloid-negative controls, both aMCI subgroups demonstrated severe deficits in the global memory score and in most subscores of both tasks. Finer-grained analyses of memory tests showed subtle association with beta amyloid status, revealing a stronger impairment of the primacy effect in beta amyloid-positive patients. Structural magnetic resonance imaging showed that both aMCI subgroups exhibited comparable atrophy patterns, with similar degrees of medial temporal volume loss compared with controls. Specifically assessing the primacy effect might complement global memory scores in identifying beta amyloid-positive patients with aMCI.
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19
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Lindgren N, Kaprio J, Rinne JO, Vuoksimaa E. Immediate verbal recall and familial dementia risk: population-based study of over 4000 twins. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019; 90:90-97. [PMID: 30315123 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2018-319122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of familial risk for dementia on verbal learning by comparing cognitively healthy twins who had demented co-twins with cognitively healthy twins who had cognitively healthy co-twins. METHODS 4367 twins aged ≥65 years including 1375 twin pairs (533 monozygotic (MZ), 823 dizygotic (DZ) and 19 unknown zygosity pairs) from a population-based Finnish Twin Cohort participated in a cross-sectional telephone assessment for dementia and in a single free recall trial of a 10-item word list. RESULTS Cognitively healthy twins with demented co-twins (n=101 pairs) recalled less words than cognitively healthy twins with cognitively healthy co-twins (n=770 pairs) after adjusting for age, sex and education, B=- 0.44, 95% CI (-0.73 to -0.14), p=0.003. The effect size was similar in MZ (n=31) twins (3.88 vs 4.29 words, B=-0.41, 95% CI (-0.96 to 0.13)) and DZ (n=66) twins (3.70 vs 4.17 words, B=-0.47, 95% CI (-0.84 to -0.10)). The heritability estimate of immediate recall (IR) was 0.37, 95% CI (0.21 to 0.43). CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that familial risk for dementia is reflected in the IR performance of cognitively healthy older persons. The finding of poorer IR performance in non-affected siblings compared with the general population, together with substantial heritability of IR, supports IR as a useful endophenotype for molecular genetic studies of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noora Lindgren
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland .,Drug Research Doctoral Program, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha O Rinne
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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20
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Griffin JW, John SE, Adams JW, Bussell CA, Saurman JL, Gavett BE. The effects of age on the learning and forgetting of primacy, middle, and recency components of a multi-trial word list. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2017; 39:900-912. [PMID: 28095744 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2017.1278746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The serial position effect reveals that recall of a supraspan list of words follows a predictable pattern, whereby words at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are recalled more easily than words in the middle. This effect has typically been studied using single list-learning trials, but in neuropsychology, multi-trial list-learning tests are more commonly used. The current study examined trends in learning for primacy, middle, and recency effects across multiple trials in younger and older age cohorts. Participants were 158 volunteers, including 79 adults aged 17-36 ("younger" group) and 79 adults aged 54-89 years ("older" group). Each participant completed four learning trials and one delayed (5-10 min) recall trial from the Memory Assessment Scales. Scores were divided into primacy (first four words), middle (middle four words), and recency (final four words) scores for all trials. For list acquisition, mixed effects modeling examined the main effects of and interactions between learning slope (logarithmic), age group, and serial position. Rate of learning increased logarithmically over four trials and varied by serial position, with growth of middle and recency word acquisition increasing more rapidly than recall of primacy words; this interaction did not differ by age group. Delayed retention differed according to age group and serial position; both older and younger adults demonstrated similar retention for primacy words, but older adults showed reduced retention for middle and recency words. Although older adults acquired less information across learning trials, the reason for this reduced acquisition was related to initial learning, not to rate of learning over time. Older compared to younger adults were less efficient at transferring middle and recency words from short-term to long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Griffin
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Samantha E John
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Jason W Adams
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Cara A Bussell
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Jessica L Saurman
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Brandon E Gavett
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
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21
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Staffaroni AM, Melrose RJ, Leskin LP, Riskin-Jones H, Harwood D, Mandelkern M, Sultzer DL. The functional neuroanatomy of verbal memory in Alzheimer’s disease: [18F]-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) correlates of recency and recognition memory. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2016; 39:682-693. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2016.1255312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Staffaroni
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Melrose
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lorraine P. Leskin
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Riskin-Jones
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dylan Harwood
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mark Mandelkern
- Nuclear Medicine Service, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - David L. Sultzer
- Brain, Behavior & Aging Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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22
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Brueggen K, Kasper E, Dyrba M, Bruno D, Pomara N, Ewers M, Duering M, Bürger K, Teipel SJ. The Primacy Effect in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Associations with Hippocampal Functional Connectivity. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:244. [PMID: 27818633 PMCID: PMC5073133 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The “primacy effect,” i.e., increased memory recall for the first items of a series compared to the following items, is reduced in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Memory task-fMRI studies demonstrated that primacy recall is associated with higher activation of the hippocampus and temporo-parietal and frontal cortical regions in healthy subjects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at resting state revealed that hippocampus functional connectivity (FC) with neocortical brain areas, including regions of the default mode network (DMN), is altered in aMCI. The present study aimed to investigate whether resting state fMRI FC between the hippocampus and cortical brain regions, especially the DMN, is associated with primacy recall performance in aMCI. Methods: A number of 87 aMCI patients underwent resting state fMRI and verbal episodic memory assessment. FC between the left or right hippocampus, respectively, and all other voxels in gray matter was mapped voxel-wise and used in whole-brain regression analyses, testing whether FC values predicted delayed primacy recall score. The delayed primacy score was defined as the number of the first four words recalled on the California Verbal Learning Test. Additionally, a partial least squares (PLS) analysis was performed, using DMN regions as seeds to identify the association of their functional interactions with delayed primacy recall. Results: Voxel-based analyses indicated that delayed primacy recall was mainly (positively) associated with higher FC between the left and right hippocampus. Additionally, significant associations were found for higher FC between the left hippocampus and bilateral temporal cortex, frontal cortical regions, and for higher FC between the right hippocampus and right temporal cortex, right frontal cortical regions, left medial frontal cortex and right amygdala (p < 0.01, uncorr.). PLS analysis revealed positive associations of delayed primacy recall with FC between regions of the DMN, including the left and right hippocampus, as well as middle cingulate cortex and thalamus (p < 0.04). In conclusion, in the light of decreased hippocampus function in aMCI, inter-hemispheric hippocampus FC and hippocampal FC with brain regions predominantly included in the DMN may contribute to residual primacy recall in aMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Brueggen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - Rostock Rostock, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kasper
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany
| | - Martin Dyrba
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - Rostock Rostock, Germany
| | - Davide Bruno
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool, UK
| | - Nunzio Pomara
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric ResearchOrangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, New York UniversityNew York City, NY, USA
| | - Michael Ewers
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Duering
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Bürger
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU)Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan J Teipel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - RostockRostock, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University of RostockRostock, Germany
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23
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Ciccarelli N, Limiti S, Fabbiani M, Baldonero E, Milanini B, Lamonica S, Cauda R, Di Giambenedetto S, Silveri MC. Verbal list learning and memory profiles in HIV-infected adults, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease: An evaluation of the "cortical hypothesis" of NeuroAIDS. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2016; 24:410-419. [PMID: 27292092 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2016.1189424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
HIV+ population is getting older because of progress in treatments. Yet, there are concerns that Older HIV+ individuals (OHIV+) may be more vulnerable for developing a "cortical" dementia such as Alzheimer Disease (AD). Our aim was to explore the hypothesis that the cognitive deficit extends to ''cortical'' functions in OHIV+ by comparing serial position effects (SPE) in different groups of participants affected by "cortical" or "subcortical" damage. We enrolled a total of 122 subjects: 22 OHIV+ (≥60 years of age), 31 Younger HIV+ (YHIV+) (<60 years of age), 18 participants with AD, 23 subjects with Parkinson Disease (PD), and 28 healthy subjects. All subjects performed verbal learning tasks (VLT) to explore SPE. Factorial analysis of covariance showed a significant effect of "group" (p < 0.001) and "task" (Primacy vs Recency) (p < 0.001), but no significant group*task (p = 0.257) interaction. Compared with healthy subjects (p = 0.003), AD had the most severe reduction of Primacy, confirming a primary "encoding deficit," while PD confirmed a "frontal pattern." OHIV+ showed a memory profile similar to that of PD with a worsening of the cognitive performance in comparison with YHIV+. In conclusion, we did not confirm the "cortical" hypothesis in OHIV+, at least in terms of learning and memory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Ciccarelli
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Silio Limiti
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Massimiliano Fabbiani
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Eleonora Baldonero
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Benedetta Milanini
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Silvia Lamonica
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
| | - Roberto Cauda
- a Institute of Infectious Diseases , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy
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Facal D, Campos-Magdaleno M, Guàrdia-Olmos J, Juncos-Rabadán O. Confirmatory factor analysis of the Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test in a sample of middle-aged and older adults with subjective memory complaints. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2015; 38:308-18. [PMID: 26647113 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2015.1107527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Assessment of the ability to retain new information is of special interest in the second half of life because of age-related changes, especially in those individuals at risk of cognitive impairment. The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) is one of the most common auditory-verbal learning tests used to test episodic memory. The objective of this paper is to study the stability of the factorial structure of the Spanish version of CVLT in a sample of adults aged 50-87 years with subjective memory complaints (SMCs). METHOD Performance at baseline and follow-up assessment (about 18 months later) was analyzed in 301 participants. Models including one, two, three, and four factors were tested, by comparing the results of confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models of relations between the factors at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS The two-factor models (accurate and inaccurate memory) yielded the best fit. The model establishing a relationship between these two factors at baseline and follow-up provided a good fit. CONCLUSION CVLT performance in a sample of middle-aged and old adults with SMCs was separated into two factors differentiating accurate recollection and errors. A structural equation modeling (SEM) model relating data from both assessments replicated these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Facal
- a Departamento de Psicoloxía Evolutiva e da Educación , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain
| | - María Campos-Magdaleno
- a Departamento de Psicoloxía Evolutiva e da Educación , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain
| | - Joan Guàrdia-Olmos
- b Departamento de Metodologia de les Ciències del Comportament , University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Onésimo Juncos-Rabadán
- a Departamento de Psicoloxía Evolutiva e da Educación , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain
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Campos-Magdaleno M, Díaz-Bóveda R, Juncos-Rabadán O, Facal D, Pereiro AX. Learning and serial effects on verbal memory in mild cognitive impairment. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2015; 23:237-50. [DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2015.1053887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Campos-Magdaleno
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rosalía Díaz-Bóveda
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Onésimo Juncos-Rabadán
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - David Facal
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Arturo X. Pereiro
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Consonni M, Rossi S, Cerami C, Marcone A, Iannaccone S, Francesco Cappa S, Perani D. Executive dysfunction affects word list recall performance: Evidence from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases. J Neuropsychol 2015; 11:74-90. [DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Consonni
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University; Milan Italy
- IRCCS Carlo Besta Neurological Institute; Milan Italy
| | | | - Chiara Cerami
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University; Milan Italy
- Neurorehabilitation Unit; Department of Clinical Neurosciences; San Raffaele Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Marcone
- Neurorehabilitation Unit; Department of Clinical Neurosciences; San Raffaele Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Neurorehabilitation Unit; Department of Clinical Neurosciences; San Raffaele Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - Stefano Francesco Cappa
- Division of Neuroscience San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
- Institute for Advanced Study IUSS Pavia; Pavia Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University; Milan Italy
- Division of Neuroscience San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Department; San Raffaele Hospital; Milan Italy
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Early neuropsychological detection of Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Clin Nutr 2014; 68:1192-9. [PMID: 25182019 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Lifestyle modification offers a promising way of preventing or delaying Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, nutritional interventions can contribute to decrease the risk of dementia. The efficacy of such interventions should be assessed in individuals thought to be prone to AD. It is therefore necessary to identify markers that may help detecting AD as early as possible. This review will focus on subtle neuropsychological changes that may already exist in the predementia phase, and that could point to individuals at risk of dementia. Episodic memory decline appears consistently as the earliest sign of incipient typical AD. An episodic memory test that ensures deep encoding of information and assesses retrieval with free as well as cued recall appears as a useful tool to detect patients at an early stage of AD. Beyond the memory domain, category verbal fluency has been shown to decline early and to predict progression to AD. Moreover, in line with current diagnosis criteria for prodromal AD, combining neuropsychological scores and neuroimaging data allows a better discrimination of future AD patients than neuroimaging or neuropsychological data alone. Altogether, the detection of cognitive changes that are predictive of the typical form of probable AD already in the predementia stage points to at risk people who are the best target for therapeutic interventions, such as nutrition or physical exercise counseling or dietary interventions.
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Campos-Magdaleno M, Facal D, Juncos-Rabadán O, Braña T, Pereiro AX. Cluster subtypes of the Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test in a sample of adults with subjective memory complaints. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2014; 36:317-33. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2014.890698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Egli SC, Beck IR, Berres M, Foldi NS, Monsch AU, Sollberger M. Serial position effects are sensitive predictors of conversion from MCI to Alzheimer's disease dementia. Alzheimers Dement 2014; 10:S420-4. [PMID: 24418056 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether the predictive strength of established cognitive variables for progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) varies depending on time to conversion. We investigated which cognitive variables were best predictors, and which of these variables remained predictive for patients with longer times to conversion. METHODS Seventy-five participants with MCI were assessed on measures of learning, memory, language, and executive function. Relative predictive strengths of these measures were analyzed using Cox regression models. RESULTS Measures of word-list position-namely, serial position scores-together with Short Delay Free Recall of word-list learning best predicted conversion to AD dementia. However, only serial position scores predicted those participants with longer time to conversion. CONCLUSIONS Results emphasize that the predictive strength of cognitive variables varies depending on time to conversion to dementia. Moreover, finer measures of learning captured by serial position scores were the most sensitive predictors of AD dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone C Egli
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter-Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Irene R Beck
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter-Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Berres
- Department of Mathematics and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Nancy S Foldi
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA
| | - Andreas U Monsch
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter-Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Sollberger
- Memory Clinic, University Center for Medicine of Aging Basel, Felix Platter-Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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