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Intelligence, cognition, and major neurocognitive disorders: From constructs to measures
1Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy.
Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior
|September 22, 2023
Summary
General intelligence significantly impacts major neurocognitive disorders (MND). A novel approach, delta (δ), better predicts dementia than traditional measures by analyzing cognitive and functional data, aiding in dementia case-finding.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Intelligence measurement in neurocognitive disorders (NCD) is complex, with single tests offering practical but limited insights.
- Traditional intelligence tests explain only partial variance and have limitations, especially for estimating premorbid intelligence.
- Factorial models offer a more comprehensive measure of intelligence as a latent factor influencing various mental abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of intelligence in the development of major neurocognitive disorders (MND).
- To decompose the general intelligence factor (Spearman's *g*) into components related to cognitive and functional measures.
- To evaluate the utility of these components in dementia case-finding and understanding MND.
Main Methods:
- Utilized structural equation modeling to analyze Spearman's general intelligence factor (*g*).
- Decomposed *g* into delta (δ), representing shared variance across cognitive and functional measures, and g', representing shared variance across cognitive measures only.
- Defined δ as 'cognitive correlates of functional status' and a 'phenotype for all cause dementia'.
Main Results:
- Delta (δ) explained less variance in cognitive measures compared to g' but demonstrated higher accuracy in dementia case-finding.
- General intelligence appears to be a more significant factor in MND presence and severity than domain-specific cognitive abilities.
- While δ is 'blind' to etiology, its association with biomarkers and role in differential diagnosis may be limited.
Conclusions:
- The novel delta (δ) construct shows promise for dementia case-finding, highlighting the importance of cognitive-functional correlates.
- Further research is needed to refine the measurement of *g* and explore non-cognitive variables for δ.
- Classical neuropsychological assessments remain crucial for differential diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders.
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