Premium
P3‐097: Characteristics and outcome of subjective and mild cognitive impairment in a U.K. memory clinic population
Author(s) -
Rodda Joanne,
Nagaraj Chitra,
Qassem Tarik,
Walker Zuzana
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.1537
Subject(s) - cognition , dementia , disease , population , memory clinic , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , asymptomatic , alzheimer's disease , psychiatry , cognitive impairment , environmental health
Background: As Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research focuses increasingly on prevention and early treatment, interest in the identification of at-risk individuals is intensifying. The concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a risk state for AD has been established for several years. There is now growing interest in the possibility of an even earlier prodromal group where subjective memory impairment exists in the absence of any objective cognitive deficits; an increasingly accepted term for this is Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI). Evidence supports the existence of a clinically “silent” phase of AD where pathological, metabolic and functional changes are present in the brains of asymptomatic individuals. SCI may represent the earliest point on the continuum of clinical AD symptomatology; a better understanding of this group may enhance our knowledge of the underlying disease processes and also facilitate early diagnosis and the direction of future disease-modifying treatments. Methods: We completed a retrospective study of baseline characteristics and outcomes in patients presenting to our memory clinic between 2000 and 2010 who received an initial diagnosis of SCI or MCI. At each assessment point, all patients underwent a standard assessment, including a medical and psychiatric history and examination and cognitive testing. Inclusion criteria for SCI were: 1) cognitive complaint from patient, 2) performance on cognitive testing within normal limits for age and educational level, 3) intact activities of daily living, 4) absence of MCI or dementia. Criteria for MCI were: 1) cognitive complaint from patient or informant, 2) performance below expected for age and education, 3) preserved general cognitive function, 4) intact activities of daily living, 5) absence of dementia. Results: Demographic, clinical and cognitive data from baseline and follow-up assessments were collated and analysed. Descriptive data regarding characteristics and cognitive change over time for MCI and SCI groups will be presented in addition to comparisons between diagnostic groups and progressing and non-progressing groups. Conclusions: MCI and SCI most likely represent two distinctive early phases of the continuum of AD. We will discuss how each of these two groups fits into the concept of pre-clinical and prodromal AD and their utility in terms of future research and clinical practice.