A Review of the Comparison of Working Memory Performance, Cognitive Function, and Behavioral, and Psychological Symptoms across Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

This study explores the roles of working memory, cognitive functions, and behavioral and psychological symptoms in the contexts of aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Employing a systematic review approach, insights were synthesized from diverse research perspectives. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate the association between changes in brain metabolism and cognitive score in ADNI dataset. Key findings indicate that assessment of recognition memory performance serves as a critical indicator for identifying MCI and tracking its progression to AD. Additionally, evaluating spatial working memory performance proves essential in monitoring advancement from MCI to AD stages. Furthermore, the study underscores that trends in performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and the Sequencing Test among healthy adults, those with MCI, or dementia tend to converge around the age of 100. In instances of accelerated aging, neuronal loss varies across different cell groups and brain regions. The research concludes that in individuals experiencing mild to severe cognitive impairment, performance in balance, strength, and aerobic fitness correlates closely with working memory, while showing no significant association with episodic memory.

Keywords

• working memory
• cognitive function
• behavioral symptoms
• normal aging
• mild cognitive impairment
• alzheimer's disease