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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
Mild cognitive impairment: risk of Alzheimer disease and rate of cognitive decline
P A Boyle1, R S Wilson, N T Aggarwal
1Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Patricia_Boyle@Rush.edu
Objective:
To examine the extent to which persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have an increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) and a more rapid rate of decline in cognitive function compared to similar persons without cognitive impairment.
Method:
Participants were 786 community-based persons (221 with MCI and 565 without cognitive impairment) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal clinical-pathologic study of common chronic conditions of old age. All participants underwent detailed annual clinical and neuropsychological evaluations. The authors examined the risk of incident AD and rate of change in global cognitive function among persons with MCI and those without cognitive impairment; all statistical models controlled for age, sex, and education.
Results:
Over an average of 2.5 years of follow-up, 57 persons with MCI (25.8%) developed AD, a rate 6.7 times higher than those without cognitive impairment. In addition, persons with MCI declined considerably more rapidly each year on a measure of global cognitive function than those without cognitive impairment.
Conclusions:
Mild cognitive impairment is associated with a greatly increased risk of incident Alzheimer disease and a more rapid rate of decline in cognitive function.
Insights
Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) face a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD). MCI also accelerates cognitive decline compared to those without cognitive impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia.
- Understanding the progression of MCI is crucial for early intervention in Alzheimer disease (AD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if individuals with MCI have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD).
- To assess the rate of cognitive decline in individuals with MCI compared to those without cognitive impairment.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 786 community-based individuals (221 with MCI, 565 without).
- Annual clinical and neuropsychological evaluations were conducted.
- Statistical models controlled for age, sex, and education.
Main Results:
- Over 2.5 years, 25.8% of individuals with MCI developed AD, a 6.7-fold increase compared to controls.
- Individuals with MCI exhibited a significantly faster annual decline in global cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is strongly associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD).
- MCI is linked to a more rapid progression of cognitive decline.
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