Key result
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment was associated with significant deficits in the efficiency of controlled attentional processes (more errors in inhibiting and shifting) compared to normal aging controls, while processing speed remained spared.
Why the study?
Does performance on the Five Digits Test differ between patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and normal aging controls?
Case-Control (n=90)
No
Does performance on the Five Digits Test differ between patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and normal aging controls?
Effect estimate: r = -0.473
Absolute Event Rate: 5.37% vs 1.8%
p-value: p=0.001
MCI patients exhibit specific deficits in executive functioning (efficiency in controlled attentional processes) while preserving processing speed, as measured by the Five Digits Test.
Supports assessment of controlled attention in amnestic MCI with the Five Digits Test; leaves open predictive value for progression.
Recent finding suggests that in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) executive functions deficits may be a frequent clinical finding. Automatic and Controlled attentional processes are related to the allocation of cognitive resources in different stimuli, being important to executive functioning. The present study aims at assessing the hypothesis of executive dysfunction deficits in MCI patients. Method: forty five MCI patients and forty five normal aging controls (NC) were assessed with the Five Digits Test (5D), a Mini-Verbal test version of the Stroop Test. Group comparisons were performed by t tests and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Results: comparisons indicates significant differences between NC and MCI in efficiency measures of controlled attentional processes, with moderate effect sizes, but not in automatic attentional processes or processing speed. Conclusion: the present work shows a selective pattern of impairment in MCI, indicating specific deficits in executive functioning with spared processing speed.
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Paula et al. (2012) conducted a case-control in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (n=90). Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment vs. Normal aging controls was evaluated on Efficiency in controlled attentional processes (Inhibiting Errors on the Five Digits Test) (r = -0.473, p=0.001). Amnestic mild cognitive impairment was associated with significant deficits in the efficiency of controlled attentional processes (more errors in inhibiting and shifting) compared to normal aging controls, while processing speed remained spared.
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