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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
12:18

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: January 11, 2020

Neuropathology of mild cognitive impairment

Yuko Saito1, Shigeo Murayama

  • 1Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. yukosa@tmig.or.jp

Neuropathology : Official Journal of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology
|November 21, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has diverse pathological backgrounds, not solely Alzheimer change. This study analyzed brain bank cases, revealing varied degenerative and vascular changes in MCI patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuropathology
  • Gerontology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical state with uncertain pathological underpinnings.
  • Accurate pathological classification is crucial for understanding MCI progression and developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the diverse clinicopathological features of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • To determine if Alzheimer change is the sole pathological cause of MCI.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 545 cases from the Brain Bank for Aging Research (BBAR).
  • Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale 0.5 was used as a proxy for MCI.
  • Pathological examinations followed the BBAR protocol, including assessment of Alzheimer change (AC), argyrophilic grain change (AGC), and Lewy body disease (DLBC).

Main Results:

  • Out of 486 cases with post-mortem CDR assessment, 57 had CDR 0.5.
  • The CDR 0.5 group exhibited varied pathologies: 33 degenerative, 9 vascular, 4 combined, and others including hippocampal sclerosis and trauma.
  • Within the degenerative group, pure pathologies included AC, AGC, and neurofibrillary tangle predominant change (NFTC), while combined pathologies were also observed.

Conclusions:

  • The pathological basis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is heterogeneous and not limited to Alzheimer change (AC).
  • Vascular factors and other neurodegenerative changes significantly contribute to the pathology of MCI.
  • Understanding this diversity is essential for accurate diagnosis and future therapeutic strategies for MCI.

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