The Predictive Value of Memory Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment

• Published in: Archives of clinical neuropsychology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 71 - 77
• Main Authors: Ramakers, Inez H.G.B., Visser, Pieter Jelle, Aalten, Pauline, Maes, Helene L., Lansdaal, Hendrika G.M., Meijs, Celeste J.C., Jolles, Jelle, Verhey, Frans R.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.02.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Cluster Analysis; Cognition Disorders - complications; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Learning strategies; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Memory Disorders - etiology; Middle Aged; Mild cognitive impairment; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Predictive Value of Tests; Predictors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Mild cognitive impairment; Alzheimer's disease; Learning strategies; Predictors; Human; Nervous system diseases; Cognitive disorder; Alzheimer disease; Memory; Cerebral disorder; Learning; Acquisition process; Central nervous system disease; Predictive value; Strategy; Degenerative disease; mild cognitive impairment; Predictive factor; Elderly
• ISSN: 0887-6177; 1873-5843; 1873-5843
• DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acp093

Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show impaired learning strategies. Whether impaired learning strategies are already present in subjects with prodromal AD remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of learning strategies for AD in subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Subjects with MCI (n = 202) were selected from the Maastricht Memory Clinic. Subjects were reassessed over a period of 10 years. Fifty-five of the 202 subjects converted to AD. Learning strategies investigated were subjective organization and serial clustering. Lower scores of subjective organization were associated with a higher risk for AD (OR = 2.1, p = .002). Serial clustering did not predict AD. Prodromal AD is characterized by a decreased use of effortful learning strategies. This finding may have implications for the early detection of AD in MCI subjects and for the development of cognitive training programs.