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Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

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The “Alzheimer's Type” Profile of Semantic Clustering in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2014

Paula M. McLaughlin ,
Matthew J. Wright ,
Michael LaRocca ,
Peter T. Nguyen ,
Edmond Teng ,
Liana G. Apostolova ,
John M. Ringman ,
Yan Zhou ,
Jeffrey L. Cummings  and
Ellen Woo
Paula M. McLaughlin
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Matthew J. Wright
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Los Angeles, California
Michael LaRocca
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
Peter T. Nguyen
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Edmond Teng
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
Liana G. Apostolova
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
John M. Ringman
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Yan Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Jeffrey L. Cummings
Affiliation:
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, Nevada
Ellen Woo*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Ellen Woo, 10911 Weyburn Avenue, Ste. 200, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7226. E-mail: ewoo@mednet.ucla.edu
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Abstract

Impairments in learning and recall have been well established in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However, a relative dearth of studies has examined the profiles of memory strategy use in persons with aMCI relative to those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants with aMCI, nonamnestic MCI, AD, and healthy older adults were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II). Measures of semantic clustering and recall were obtained across learning and delayed recall trials. In addition, we investigated whether deficits in semantic clustering were related to progression from healthy aging to aMCI and from aMCI to AD. The aMCI group displayed similar semantic clustering performance as the AD participants, whereas the AD group showed greater impairments on recall relative to the aMCI participants. Control participants who progressed to aMCI showed reduced semantic clustering at the short delay at baseline compared to individuals who remained diagnostically stable across follow-up visits. These findings show that the ability to engage in an effective memory strategy is compromised in aMCI, before AD has developed, suggesting that disruptions in semantic networks are an early marker of the disease. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–11)

Keywords

Memory disordersDisease progressionMemoryDementiaVerbal learningDiagnosis
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , April 2014 , pp. 402 - 412
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2014 

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