The Use of a Musical Mnemonic Strategy to Support Verbal Memory Recall in People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review

Abstract Reliable biomarkers of memory decline are critical for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous work has found three EEG measures, namely the event-related brain potential P600, suppression of oscillatory activity in the alpha frequency range (∼10 Hz) and cross-frequency coupling between low theta/high delta and alpha/beta activity, each of which correlates strongly with verbal learning and memory abilities in healthy elderly and patients with mild cognitive impairment or prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. In the present study, we address the question of whether event-related or oscillatory measures, or a combination thereof, best predict the decline of verbal memory in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Single-trial correlation analyses show that despite a similarity in their time courses and sensitivities to word repetition, the P600 and the alpha suppression components are minimally correlated with each other on a trial-by-trial basis (generally |rs| < 0.10). This suggests that they are unlikely to stem from the same neural mechanism. Furthermore, event-related brain potentials constructed from bandpass filtered (delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma bands) single-trial data indicate that only delta band activity (1–4 Hz) is strongly correlated (r = 0.94, P < 0.001) with the canonical P600 repetition effect; event-related potentials in higher frequency bands are not. Importantly, stepwise multiple regression analyses reveal that the three event-related brain potential/oscillatory measures are complementary in predicting California Verbal Learning Test scores (overall R2’s in 0.45–0.63 range). The present study highlights the importance of combining EEG event-related potential and oscillatory measures to better characterize the multiple mechanisms of memory failure in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or prodromal Alzheimer’s disease.

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Subjective Cognitive Decline and its Relation to Verbal Memory and Sex in Cognitively Unimpaired Individuals from a Colombian Cohort with Autosomal-Dominant Alzheimer’s Disease

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617721000801 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Jairo E. Martinez ◽

Enmanuelle Pardilla-Delgado ◽

Edmarie Guzmán-Vélez ◽

Clara Vila-Castelar ◽

Rebecca Amariglio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Autosomal Dominant ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Study Partner

Abstract Objective: Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) may be an early indicator of risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Findings regarding sex differences in SCD are inconsistent. Studying sex differences in SCD within cognitively unimpaired individuals with autosomal-dominant AD (ADAD), who will develop dementia, may inform sex-related SCD variations in preclinical AD. We examined sex differences in SCD within cognitively unimpaired mutation carriers from the world’s largest ADAD kindred and sex differences in the relationship between SCD and memory performance. Methods: We included 310 cognitively unimpaired Presenilin-1 (PSEN-1) E280A mutation carriers (51% females) and 1998 noncarrier family members (56% females) in the study. Subjects and their study partners completed SCD questionnaires and the CERAD word list delayed recall test. ANCOVAs were conducted to examine group differences in SCD, sex, and memory performance. In carriers, partial correlations were used to examine associations between SCD and memory performance covarying for education. Results: Females in both groups had greater self-reported and study partner-reported SCD than males (all p < 0.001). In female mutation carriers, greater self-reported (p = 0.02) and study partner-reported SCD (p < 0.001) were associated with worse verbal memory. In male mutation carriers, greater self-reported (p = 0.03), but not study partner-reported SCD (p = 0.11) was associated with worse verbal memory. Conclusions: Study partner-reported SCD may be a stronger indicator of memory decline in females versus males in individuals at risk for developing dementia. Future studies with independent samples and preclinical trials should consider sex differences when recruiting based on SCD criteria.

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P1-471: THE UTILITY OF VERBAL MEMORY TESTS AS SENSITIVE MARKERS FOR EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN ELDERLY CHINESE AMERICANS

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.1076 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. P449-P449

Author(s):

Clara Li ◽

Judith Neugroschl ◽

Carolyn W. Zhu ◽

Mari Umpierre ◽

Jane Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Early Stage ◽

Chinese Americans ◽

Memory Tests ◽

Elderly Chinese

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Women have Farther to Fall: Gender Differences Between Normal Elderly and Alzheimer's Disease in Verbal Memory Engender Better Detection of Alzheimer's Disease in Women

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617711000452 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 654-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Robert M. Chapman ◽

Mark Mapstone ◽

Margaret N. Gardner ◽

Tiffany C. Sandoval ◽

John W. McCrary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Control Group ◽

Large Drop ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Logical Memory ◽

Wechsler Memory Scale ◽

Immediate Recall

AbstractWe analyzed verbal episodic memory learning and recall using the Logical Memory (LM) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III to determine how gender differences in AD compare to those seen in normal elderly and whether or not these differences impact assessment of AD. We administered the LM to both an AD and a Control group, each comprised of 21 men and 21 women, and found a large drop in performance from normal elders to AD. Of interest was a gender interaction whereby the women's scores dropped 1.6 times more than the men's did. Control women on average outperformed Control men on every aspect of the test, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and learning. Conversely, AD women tended to perform worse than AD men. Additionally, the LM achieved perfect diagnostic accuracy in discriminant analysis of AD versus Control women, a statistically significantly higher result than for men. The results indicate the LM is a more powerful and reliable tool in detecting AD in women than in men. (JINS, 2011, 17, 654–662)

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Decline in verbal memory during preclinical Alzheimer's disease: Examination of the effect of APOE genotype

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617702870096 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 943-955 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

KELLY L. LANGE ◽

MARK W. BONDI ◽

DAVID P. SALMON ◽

DOUGLAS GALASKO ◽

DEAN C. DELIS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Apoe Genotype ◽

Apoe Ε4 ◽

Dementia Syndrome ◽

Ε4 Allele

A subtle decline in episodic memory often occurs prior to the emergence of the full dementia syndrome in nondemented older adults who develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). The APOE-ε4 genotype may engender a more virulent form of AD that hastens this decline. To examine this possibility, we compared the rate of decline in episodic memory during the preclinical phase of AD in individuals with or without at least one APOE ε4 allele. Nondemented normal control (NC; n = 84) participants, nondemented older adults who subsequently developed dementia within 1 or 2 years (i.e., preclinical AD; n = 20), and patients with mild AD (n = 53) were examined with 2 commonly employed tests of episodic memory, the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test. Results revealed a precipitous decline in verbal memory abilities 1 to 2 years prior to the onset of the dementia syndrome, but there was little effect of APOE genotype on the rate of this memory decline. The presence of an APOE-ε4 allele, however, did have a differential effect on the sensitivity of the 2 types of memory tests for tracking progression and made an independent contribution to the prediction of conversion to AD. (JINS, 2002, 8, 943–955.)

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Verbal memory and hippocampal volume predict subsequent fornix microstructure in those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Brain Imaging and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s11682-019-00183-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 2311-2322 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Junhong Yu ◽

◽

Tatia M. C. Lee

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Hippocampal Atrophy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mci Due To Ad

Abstract While strong cross-sectional evidence supported the use of fornix microstructure as a marker for detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD), longitudinal data remains inconclusive on the sequential nature of fornix microstructure abnormalities and AD progression. An unequivocal longitudinal relationship between fornix microstructure and markers of AD progression –memory impairment and hippocampal atrophy, must be established to validate fornix microstructure as a marker of AD progression. We included 115 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative across the non-demented AD spectrum— defined as those who had at least one AD risk marker at baseline (e.g., mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD diagnosis, amyloid or ApoE4 positivity) and/or ‘cognitively normal individuals who converted to MCI due to AD or AD, with structural and diffusion tensor imaging scans at baseline and two years follow-up. Hippocampal volumes (HV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the fornix were extracted. Memory was indexed via composite scores of verbal memory tests. Structural equation models tested the bidirectional cross-lagged effects of fornix microstructure, memory, and HV. Impaired memory and smaller HV at baseline significantly predicted worse fornix microstructure (decreased FA and increased MD) two years later. Baseline fornix microstructure was not associated with subsequent changes in memory and HV. Fornix microstructure is compromised likely at a later stage, where significant decline in memory and hippocampal atrophy have occurred. This limits the utility of fornix microstructure in the early detection of AD. Our findings inform the possible pathophysiology and refined the use of AD neural markers.

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Detection of mild cognitive impairment and early stage dementia with an audio-recorded cognitive scale

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610213000598 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 25 (8) ◽

pp. 1325-1333 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Margaret C. Sewell ◽

Xiaodong Luo ◽

Judith Neugroschl ◽

Mary Sano

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Early Stage ◽

Neuropsychological Testing ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Screening Measures

ABSTRACTBackground: Physicians often miss diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia and screening measures can be insensitive to very mild impairments. Other cognitive assessments may take too much time or be frustrating to seniors. This study examined the ability of an audio-recorded scale, developed in Australia, to detect MCI or mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and compared cognitive domain-specific performance on the audio-recorded scale to in-person battery and common cognitive screens.Method: Seventy-six patients from the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center were recruited. Patients were aged 75 years or older, with clinical diagnosis of AD or MCI (n = 51) or normal control (n = 25). Participants underwent in-person neuropsychological testing followed by testing with the audio-recorded cognitive screen (ARCS).Results: ARCS provided better discrimination between normal and impaired elderly individuals than either the Mini-Mental State Examination or the clock drawing test. The in-person battery and ARCS analogous variables were significantly correlated, most in the 0.4 to 0.7 range, including verbal memory, executive function/attention, naming, and verbal fluency. The area under the curve generated from the receiver operating characteristic curves indicated high and equivalent discrimination for ARCS and the in-person battery (0.972 vs. 0.988; p = 0.23).Conclusion: The ARCS demonstrated better discrimination between normal controls and those with mild deficits than typical screening measures. Performance on cognitive domains within the ARCS was well correlated with the in-person battery. Completion of the ARCS was accomplished despite mild difficulty hearing the instructions even in very elderly participants, indicating that it may be a useful measure in primary care settings.

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