Face-Name Associative Recognition Deficits in Subjective Cognitive Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Subtle cognitive deficits in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) require more sensitive neuropsychological tests.
• Associative memory, supported by the hippocampus, is an early cognitive function affected in AD.
• Developing novel tools is crucial for early detection and intervention in AD progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computerized face-name associative recognition test (FNART).
• To assess FNART's ability to detect memory impairment in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
• To compare FNART performance with existing cognitive assessments and self-reported memory complaints.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 61 elderly patients (32 SCD, 29 MCI) and 28 healthy controls (HC).
• Administered the computerized FNART, ECog-39 for self-reported cognitive deterioration, and CANTAB Paired Associates Learning (PAL).
• Analyzed group differences in FNART performance and correlations with other measures.

Main Results:

• FNART performance significantly differed across groups (p < 0.001).
• SCD and MCI groups showed significantly lower associative memory performance than HCs.
• FNART performance correlated with memory complaints in SCD patients, but not MCI patients.

Conclusions:

• Associative memory is impaired in memory clinic patients with SCD, correlating with memory complaints at the preclinical AD stage.
• FNART shows promise as a sensitive tool for detecting early cognitive deficits in individuals at risk for AD.
• Further research should validate FNART's predictive utility for longitudinal outcomes and biomarkers in SCD patients.