Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Dec 2021)

Neuropsychiatric Profile as a Predictor of Cognitive Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment

  • Natalia Roberto,
  • Natalia Roberto,
  • Maria J. Portella,
  • Maria J. Portella,
  • Maria J. Portella,
  • Marta Marquié,
  • Marta Marquié,
  • Montserrat Alegret,
  • Montserrat Alegret,
  • Isabel Hernández,
  • Isabel Hernández,
  • Ana Mauleón,
  • Maitee Rosende-Roca,
  • Carla Abdelnour,
  • Carla Abdelnour,
  • Ester Esteban de Antonio,
  • Juan P. Tartari,
  • Liliana Vargas,
  • Rogelio López-Cuevas,
  • Urszula Bojaryn,
  • Ana Espinosa,
  • Ana Espinosa,
  • Gemma Ortega,
  • Gemma Ortega,
  • Alba Pérez-Cordón,
  • Ángela Sanabria,
  • Ángela Sanabria,
  • Adelina Orellana,
  • Adelina Orellana,
  • Itziar de Rojas,
  • Sonia Moreno-Grau,
  • Laura Montrreal,
  • Emilio Alarcón-Martín,
  • Agustín Ruíz,
  • Agustín Ruíz,
  • Lluís Tárraga,
  • Lluís Tárraga,
  • Mercè Boada,
  • Mercè Boada,
  • Sergi Valero,
  • Sergi Valero

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.718949
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment is often associated with affective and other neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). This co-occurrence might have a relevant impact on disease progression, from MCI to dementia.Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the trajectories of cognitive decline in an MCI sample from a memory clinic, taking into consideration a perspective of isolated cognitive functions and based on NPS clusters, accounting for the different comorbid symptoms collected at their baseline visit.Methods: A total of 2,137 MCI patients were monitored over a 2.4-year period. Four clusters of NPS (i.e., Irritability, Apathy, Anxiety/Depression and Asymptomatic) were used to run linear mixed models to explore the interaction of cluster with time on cognitive trajectories using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery (NBACE) administered at baseline and at the three subsequent follow-ups.Results: A significant interaction between cluster and time in cognitive decline was found when verbal learning and cued-recall were explored (p = 0.002 for both memory functions). For verbal learning, the Irritability cluster had the largest effect size (0.69), whereas the Asymptomatic cluster showed the smallest effect size (0.22). For cued-recall, the Irritability cluster had the largest effect size among groups (0.64), and Anxiety/Depression had the smallest effect size (0.21).Conclusions: In MCI patients, the Irritability and Apathy NPS clusters shared similar patterns of worsening in memory functioning, which could point to these NPS as risk factors of a faster cognitive decline, acting as early prognostic markers and helping in the diagnostic process.

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