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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
High Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
María Mata1, Magali González-Colaço Harmand2,3, Pablo César Prada-Arrondo4
1School of Psychology, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), C/Profesor José Luis Moreno Becerra, s/n, Campus Guajara, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Insights
A significant portion of older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Visuospatial functions and memory are key indicators for predicting MCI in this population.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasingly prevalent in older adults.
- CVD is associated with a higher risk of neurological complications, including cognitive decline.
- Research on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly CVD patients is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of MCI in elderly CVD patients (aged 65+).
- To compare the clinical and cognitive profiles of CVD patients with MCI to healthy controls (HC).
- To identify predictors of MCI within this population.
Main Methods:
- An observational study involving 34 CVD patients and 25 HC.
- All participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessments.
- MCI diagnosis followed established clinical criteria; cognitive impairment was defined as performance <=1.5 SD below HC mean.
Main Results:
- 41.2% of CVD patients were diagnosed with MCI.
- CVD patients with MCI exhibited deficits across all cognitive domains, notably in visuospatial functions, language, and verbal memory.
- Visuospatial functions and memory emerged as significant predictors of MCI.
Conclusions:
- Elderly patients with CVD have a high prevalence of MCI, presenting a diverse cognitive impairment profile.
- These findings underscore the importance of cognitive screening in older adults with CVD.
- The results provide a foundation for future research on neurological complications in aging CVD populations.
Objective:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are showing an increasing incidence in the older adults and are frequently associated with higher risk of neurological complications in this population. Research on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly patients with CVD is extremely scarce. The aims of this research were to: (a) examine the frequency of MCI in CVD patients (aged 65 years or older) and explore their clinical and cognitive characteristics compared to healthy controls (HC); (b) investigate which components of the cognitive performance and clinical characteristics are better predictors of MCI.
Method:
This observational study included 34 CVD patients (mean age = 74.97; SD = 4.96) and 25 HC (mean age = 73.32; SD = 3.72). All participants underwent neuropsychological assessment. MCI diagnosis was established following clinical diagnostic criteria. Cognitive impairment was defined as performance ≤1.5 SD below the HC mean in neuropsychological tests. Relative risk, random forest regression models, and discriminant analysis were used for the prediction analysis.
Results:
The results showed that 41.2% of the CVD patients who were diagnosed with MCI. CVD-MCI showed an altered performance in all cognitive domains, with more relevance of visuospatial functions, language and verbal memory. Moreover, visuospatial functions and memory were significant predictors of MCI diagnosis.
Conclusions:
These findings indicate a high frequency of MCI in elderly patients with CVD, characterized by a heterogeneous pattern of cognitive impairment. These results are highly relevant for future investigations, considering increasing life expectancy, the high incidence of CVD in the older adults and the higher risk of neurological complications associated with this population.
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