Better prognostic accuracy in younger mild cognitive impairment patients with more years of education

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Age and years of education influence the risk of dementia and may impact the prognostic accuracy of mild cognitive impairment subtypes. Methods Memory clinic patients without dementia (N = 358, age 64.0 ± 7.9) were stratified into four groups based on years of age (≤64 and ≥65) and education (≤12 and ≥13), examined with a neuropsychological test battery at baseline and followed up after 2 years. Results The prognostic accuracy of amnestic multi‐domain mild cognitive impairment for dementia was highest in younger patients with more years of education and lowest in older patients with fewer years of education. Conversely, conversion rates to dementia were lowest in younger patients with more years of education and highest in older patients with fewer years of education. Discussion Mild cognitive impairment subtypes and demographic information should be combined to increase the accuracy of prognoses for dementia.

Keywords

• Memory clinic
• Mild cognitive impairment
• Dementia
• Alzheimer's disease
• Neuropsychology
• Diagnosis