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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

Memory profiling in mild cognitive impairment: can we determine risk for Alzheimer's disease?

Kerryn E Pike1, Greg Savage

  • 1School of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Australia. kerryn.pike@petnm.unimelb.edu.au

Journal of Neuropsychology
|October 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Memory profiling may help identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who will progress to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Further research is needed to validate memory tests for early detection of pre-Alzheimer's disease (preAD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Identifying MCI cases that progress to AD is crucial but challenging.
  • Existing research on memory profiles in pre-Alzheimer's disease (preAD) is limited and yields equivocal results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if a characteristic memory profile, associated with AD, is present in individuals with MCI who are likely to progress to AD (preAD).
  • To assess the utility of 'memory profiling' as a tool for identifying individuals with MCI who will progress to AD.
  • To determine if memory profiling can differentiate between preAD and non-progressing MCI cases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing studies examining memory profiles in preAD and MCI.
  • Analysis of data on encoding and consolidation deficits in memory.
  • Evaluation of a single study contrasting preAD with non-preAD MCI cases.

Main Results:

  • Tentative support for an encoding/consolidation memory profile in preAD was found in limited data.
  • One study found no significant differences in memory profiles between preAD and non-preAD MCI cases.
  • Interpretation of findings is limited by methodological constraints, including short follow-up and task limitations.

Conclusions:

  • Memory profiling is a promising avenue for identifying MCI cases that will progress to AD.
  • Further prospective longitudinal studies using sensitive memory tests are required.
  • Developing specific memory process tests is essential for identifying clinically crucial MCI cases.

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