Cognitive profiles of mild cognitive impairment with and without vascular disease.

Abstract

This study examined whether the cognitive profile of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with vascular disease differs from that of MCI subjects with no vascular disease. Consecutive MCI subjects with vascular disease (n ϭ 60) and matched MCI subjects with no vascular disease (n ϭ 60) were included in the study and were compared with healthy control subjects (n ϭ 60). The neuropsychological assessment comprised tests of speed and attention, episodic memory, visuospatial function, language, and executive function. Control subjects performed significantly better than did both MCI groups on the neuropsychological battery. MCI subjects with no vascular disease performed better overall than did MCI subjects with vascular disease, most clearly on tests of speed and attention, visuospatial function, and executive function. MCI subjects with and without vascular disease exhibited differences, both in terms of overall performance and of cognitive profiles. These differences can be largely explained by deficits in speed and attention and in executive function of the MCI subjects with vascular disease.

Deficits in face perception in the amnestic form of mild cognitive impairment

“…Patients with prosopagnosia are more impaired on within-object spatial judgments while those with Balint syndrome are more impaired on between-object spatial tasks [34,35]. Most of the visuospatial tasks used to assess aMCI have focused on between-object spatial functions [36,37]. A general deficit in perceiving within-object structural configuration would seem unlikely in our aMCI patients given their preserved perception of mouth configuration at unlimited duration.…”

Is There a Specific Pattern of Attention Deficit in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Subcortical Vascular Features? Evidence from the Attention Network Test

“…Whereas Nordlund et al’s [3] svMCI patients showed impaired performance in the Trail Making Test compared with controls and with nonvascular MCI patients, Frisoni et al [2] found no difference in attention performance between persons with svMCI and those with nonvascular MCI. Given that attention is a domain general process that can affect the performance of many other processes including language, memory and executive control, the establishment of a differential pattern of attention deficits in svMCI could improve its clinical diagnosis as well as help define appropriate therapeutic approaches to this disease.…”

Dementia Risk Score Predicts Cognitive Impairment after a Period of 15 Years in a Nondemented Population

“…Moreover, deficits in speed, executive functioning and visuospatial abilities are associated with ischemic lesions on brain MRI [17]. We did not find a relation between memory impairment, a key feature of early Alzheimer’s disease, and the risk score.…”