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Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease

Guido Gainotti1, Davide Quaranta, Maria Gabriella Vita

  • 1Center for Neuropsychological Research, Institute of Neurology of the Policlinico Gemelli, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Rome, Italy.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|September 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Delayed recall memory tests are key predictors for identifying individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Specificity is enhanced with stringent cut-offs, aiding clinical trial candidate selection.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage with varying progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Current diagnostic criteria for prodromal AD increasingly incorporate biomarkers alongside cognitive deficits.
  • Neuropsychological markers are crucial for predicting AD conversion in MCI patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and highlight the significance of neuropsychological markers in predicting conversion from MCI to AD.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of different memory testing paradigms for AD prediction.
  • To discuss the role of memory domains and diagnostic criteria in identifying individuals at high risk for AD.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies focusing on neuropsychological predictors of AD conversion in MCI.
  • Analysis of delayed recall, cued recall, and free recall memory tests.
  • Examination of diagnostic criteria and biomarker integration for prodromal AD.

Main Results:

  • Delayed recall measures are the strongest neuropsychological predictors of MCI to AD conversion.
  • Free recall tests can be as predictive as controlled encoding and cued recall tests.
  • Stringent cut-off scores are essential for increasing the specificity of predictive memory tests.
  • Both episodic and semantic memory impairments are observed in MCI patients who convert to AD.
  • Multi-domain amnestic MCI patients are suitable for clinical trials but not necessarily for disease-modifying treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Neuropsychological assessments, particularly delayed recall, are vital for identifying individuals at risk of AD.
  • Refining diagnostic criteria with specific memory test cut-offs can improve prediction accuracy.
  • Further research into neural mechanisms underlying memory changes in MCI is warranted.
Keywords:
Delayed recallepisodic memorymild cognitive impairmentneuropsychologysemantic memory

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