scholarly journals Textual Inference Comprehension in Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Influence of Semantic Processing and Verbal Episodic Memory

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Paula Maziero ◽  
Ariella Fornachari Ribeiro Belan ◽  
Marina von Zuben de Arruda Camargo ◽  
Marcela Lima Silagi ◽  
Orestes Vicente Forlenza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Inference Making ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Language complaints, especially in complex tasks, may occur in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Various language measures have been studied as cognitive predictors of MCI conversion to Alzheimer's type dementia. Understanding textual inferences is considered a high-demanding task that recruits multiple cognitive functions and, therefore, could be sensitive to detect decline in the early stages of MCI. Thus, we aimed to compare the performance of subjects with MCI to healthy elderly in a textual inference comprehension task and to determine the best predictors of performance in this ability considering one verbal episodic memory and two semantic tasks. We studied 99 individuals divided into three groups: (1) 23 individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), (2) 42 individuals with non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (naMCI), (3), and (4) 34 cognitively healthy individuals for the control group (CG). A reduced version of The Implicit Management Test was used to assess different types of inferential reasoning in text reading. MCI patients performed poorer than healthy elderly, and there were no differences between MCI subgroups (amnestic and non-amnestic). The best predictors for inference-making were verbal memory in the aMCI and semantic tasks in the naMCI group. The results confirmed that the failure to understand textual inferences can be present in MCI and showed that different cognitive skills like semantic knowledge and verbal episodic memory are necessary for inference-making.

Naturalistic Action Performance Distinguishes Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment from Healthy Aging

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 419-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Gold ◽  
Norman W. Park ◽  
Kelly J. Murphy ◽  
Angela K. Troyer
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

AbstractIndividuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show minor decrements in their instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Sensitive measures of IADL performance are needed to capture the mild difficulties observed in aMCI groups. Routine naturalistic actions (NAs) are familiar IADL-type activities that require individuals to enact everyday tasks such as preparing coffee. In the current study we examined the extent to which NAs could be used to help facilitate differential diagnosis of aMCI relative to composite measures of episodic memory, semantic knowledge, and executive function. Healthy older adults (n=24) and individuals with aMCI (n=24) enacted two highly familiar NAs and completed tests of episodic memory, semantic knowledge, and executive function. Binary logistic regression was used to predict group membership (aMCI vs. control participants). The regression analyses indicated that NA performance could reliably predict group membership, over and above measures of cognitive functioning. These findings indicated that NA performance can be used to help facilitate differential diagnosis of healthy aging and aMCI and used as an outcome measure in intervention studies. (JINS, 2015, 21, 419–428)

The Effects of Exposure to Recent Autobiographical Events on Declarative Memory in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Preliminary Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-167
Author(s):  
Olga Gelonch ◽  
Neus Cano ◽  
Marta Vancells ◽  
Marc Bolaños ◽  
Laia Farràs-Permanyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Control Group

Background: Individuals with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) are at heightened risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia. In recent years, much attention has been given to the search for new interventions to slow down the progression of cognitive decline of these patients. Wearable digital camera devices are one form of new technology that captures images of one’s life events, so they constitute a promising method to be used as a means to stimulate recent autobiographical memory. Objective: This preliminary study investigates the ability of a new cognitive intervention based on exposure to recent autobiographical memory captured by wearable cameras to improve episodic memory in patients with aMCI. Method: Seventeen subjects wore a wearable camera while they went about their daily activities. The images captured were converted into eight different 3-minute films containing the most relevant information of each event. The intervention involved eight individualized weekly sessions during which patients were exposed to a different autobiographical event each week. Besides, several specific questions were formulated within each session. Clinical questionnaires assessing cognitive reserve, premorbid intelligence, depression, and anxiety were administered at baseline. Measures of objective episodic memory were applied at baseline and at post-treatment. Results: Significant improvements were observed at post-treatment in memory measures, and significant associations were found between memory change scores and age and cognitive reserve. Anyway, these associations did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Conclusion: The present study provides preliminary evidence that aMCI patients may benefit from a cognitive intervention program based on re-experiencing recent autobiographical events. However, future studies incorporating a control group will be needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

scholarly journals Hippocampal atrophy and verbal episodic memory performance in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease: A preliminary study

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalia Carollina Peruzza Marchiani ◽  
Marcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar ◽  
Fernando Cendes ◽  
Benito Pereira Damasceno
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Abstract To evaluate hippocampal volume in patients with AD and aMCI, and correlate its atrophy with verbal episodic memory performance. Methods: We studied 42 individuals older than 50 years, including 14 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), 14 with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 14 normal controls. All individuals were submitted to the Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT) to evaluate episodic memory. They were also submitted to the forward (FDS) and backward digit span (BDS) subtest of WAIS-R to evaluate working memory and attention, and to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Hippocampal volumetric measurements were performed according to anatomic guidelines from a standard protocol using high-resolution T1-inversion recovery 3-mm coronal MRI slices. Hippocampal volumes (HV) were corrected for the variation in total intracranial volume. There was no significant difference between the three groups concerning age and education. Results: On RAVLT, there was a continuum between the three groups, with AD recalling less words, controls more, and aMCI subjects showing an intermediate performance on all sub-items. We found an asymmetry between HVs, with smaller mean left HV for all groups. ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test for comparisons of HV showed a significant difference among groups, with difference between controls and both AD and aMCI, although there was no significant difference between AD and aMCI groups. Conclusions: There was a significant correlation between hippocampal volumes and scores on RAVLT, confirming that medial temporal structures are closely associated with memory performance in normal ageing as well as in aMCI and AD.

scholarly journals The association between depressive and cognitive symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Hudon ◽  
Sylvie Belleville ◽  
Serge Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Cued Recall ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Amnestic Mci ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

ABSTRACTBackground: Depressive symptoms are frequently observed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, little is known regarding the cognitive characteristics of this important subgroup.Methods: We examined executive functions (controlled inhibition) and verbal episodic memory in 33 healthy older adults (control group), 18 older adults with amnestic MCI plus subclinical depressive symptoms (a-MCI/D+ group), and 26 older adults with amnestic MCI but no depressive symptoms (a-MCI group).Results: Compared to the a-MCI and control groups, patients with a-MCI/D+ showed poor controlled inhibition. Moreover, in verbal episodic memory these patients recalled fewer words than control participants on immediate free, delayed free, and delayed total (free plus cued) recall. Performance on immediate recall suggested a self-retrieval deficit, but delayed performance also revealed the existence of an encoding impairment. In the a-MCI group, participants exhibited normal performance on the executive task, but pervasive memory impairment; the memory deficit concerned free and total recall on both immediate and delayed tasks, suggesting the existence of encoding and self-retrieval disturbances.Conclusions: This study reveals differences between the pattern of cognitive impairment for a-MCI/D+ and a-MCI subgroups particularly at the level of executive capacities. In terms of memory functioning, the differences between the subgroups were more subtle; more studies are needed in order to better characterize the memory impairment of a-MCI/D+ and a-MCI patients.

An fMRI study of verbal episodic memory encoding in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Cortex ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 869-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Dannhauser ◽  
Sukhwinder S. Shergill ◽  
Tim Stevens ◽  
Lean Lee ◽  
Marc Seal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Neurocognitive Plasticity Is Associated with Cardiorespiratory Fitness Following Physical Exercise in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Galit Yogev-Seligmann ◽  
Tamir Eisenstein ◽  
Elissa Ash ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
Haggai Sharon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Aerobic Training ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Memory Encoding

Background: Aerobic training has been shown to promote structural and functional neurocognitive plasticity in cognitively intact older adults. However, little is known about the neuroplastic potential of aerobic exercise in individuals at risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia. Objective: We aimed to explore the effect of aerobic exercise intervention and cardiorespiratory fitness improvement on brain and cognitive functions in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Methods: 27 participants with aMCI were randomized to either aerobic training (n = 13) or balance and toning (BAT) control group (n = 14) for a 16-week intervention. Pre- and post-assessments included functional MRI experiments of brain activation during associative memory encoding and neural synchronization during complex information processing, cognitive evaluation using neuropsychological tests, and cardiorespiratory fitness assessment. Results: The aerobic group demonstrated increased frontal activity during memory encoding and increased neural synchronization in higher-order cognitive regions such as the frontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) following the intervention. In contrast, the BAT control group demonstrated decreased brain activity during memory encoding, primarily in occipital, temporal, and parietal areas. Increases in cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with increases in brain activation in both the left inferior frontal and precentral gyri. Furthermore, changes in cardiorespiratory fitness were also correlated with changes in performance on several neuropsychological tests. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise training may result in functional plasticity of high-order cognitive areas, especially, frontal regions, among older adults at risk of AD and dementia. Furthermore, cardiorespiratory fitness may be an important mediating factor of the observed changes in neurocognitive functions.

Computerized Cognitive Training in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 089198872110064
Author(s):  
Kevin Duff ◽  
Jian Ying ◽  
Kayla R. Suhrie ◽  
Bonnie C.A. Dalley ◽  
Taylor J. Atkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Computerized Cognitive Training ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

Objective: Computerized cognitive training has been successful in healthy older adults, but its efficacy has been mixed in patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Methods: In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel clinical trial, we examined the short- and long-term efficacy of a brain-plasticity computerized cognitive training in 113 participants with amnestic MCI. Results: Immediately after 40-hours of training, participants in the active control group who played computer games performed better than those in the experimental group on the primary cognitive outcome (p = 0.02), which was an auditory memory/attention composite score. There were no group differences on 2 secondary outcomes (global cognitive composite and rating of daily functioning). After 1 year, there was no difference between the 2 groups on primary or secondary outcomes. No adverse events were noted. Conclusions: Although the experimental cognitive training program did not improve outcomes in those with MCI, the short-term effects of the control group should not be dismissed, which may alter treatment recommendations for these patients.

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