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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
Elderly-onset essential tremor and mild cognitive impairment: a population-based study (NEDICES)
Julián Benito-León1, Elan D Louis, Alex J Mitchell
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. jbenitol@meditex.es
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|February 10, 2011
Summary
Essential tremor (ET) may be linked to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), especially when tremor begins later in life. This suggests cognitive issues could be a key non-motor symptom of ET.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a stage between normal aging and dementia.
- Essential tremor (ET) has been linked to cognitive issues, including frontal-executive dysfunction and memory impairments.
- Previous research on the association between MCI and ET is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between essential tremor (ET) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- To determine if ET is a risk factor for MCI in a dementia-free population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the population-based central Spain (NEDICES) study.
- Identified individuals diagnosed with MCI and ET using consensus criteria from the International Working Group on MCI.
- Compared MCI prevalence in ET cases versus controls, adjusting for potential confounding factors.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of MCI was slightly higher in ET cases (20.3%) than controls (16.1%), though not statistically significant (OR=1.32, p=0.12).
- After adjusting for covariates, the association remained non-significant (OR=1.28, p=0.19).
- However, older-onset ET (tremor onset after age 65) was significantly associated with MCI (OR=1.57, p=0.03), while early-onset ET was not.
Conclusions:
- Older-onset essential tremor is associated with mild cognitive impairment.
- This finding supports the hypothesis that cognitive disturbances are core non-motor symptoms of ET.
- Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms linking ET and cognitive decline.
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