Reversion From Mild Cognitive Impairment To Normal Cognition: False-Positive Error Or True Restoration Thanks To Cognitive Control Ability?

Abstract

Ji-Yeon Chung,1,2,* Hyung-Jun Yoon,3,* Hoowon Kim,1,2 Kyu Yeong Choi,1 Jang Jae Lee,1 Kun Ho Lee,1,4,5 Eun Hyun Seo1,6 1National Research Center for Dementia, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea; 2Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Chosun University/Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea; 3Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chosun University/Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea; 4Department of Biomedical Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea; 5Department of Neural Development and Disease, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Korea; 6Department of Premedical Science, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Eun Hyun SeoPremedical Science, College of Medicine, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452, South KoreaTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [email protected]: Relatively little attention has been paid to the meaning of reversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to cognitively normal (CN), compared to MCI progression studies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the characteristics contributing to reversion from MCI to CN and to identify the associated factors with such reversion.Patients and methods: We retrospectively identified 200 individuals who initially diagnosed as MCI and completed the second visit from the National Research Center for Dementia (NRCD) registry in Korea. Participants underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessments. Factors associated with reversion were examined by a independent-samples t-test, χ2 test, and logistic regression. Longitudinal change was examined by a repeated measures analysis of variance (rANOVA).Results: Based on the second assessment, 78 (39%) individuals were found to have reverted to CN (rMCI) and 118 (59%) remained with MCI (sMCI). Four (2%) progressed to Alzheimer’s disease dementia and they were excluded from further analysis. Over a wide range of socio-demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological variables, group difference was significant only in neuropsychological tests of cognitive control. Both groups showed improvement in several neuropsychological tests, implying a practice effect, but the rMCI group showed greater improvement.Conclusion: Reversion from MCI to CN might not be a false-positive error but a true recovery from cognitive impairment. Our results suggest that cognitive control ability may be a characteristic favorable for the restoration of cognitive function. Therefore, assessment of cognitive control might facilitate the development of appropriate interventions for MCI as well as prognosis evaluation.Keywords: mild cognitive impairment, reversion, cognitive control, Alzheimer disease

Keywords

• mild cognitive impairment
• reversion
• cognitive control
• Alzheimer disease