Application of the Cogstate Brief Battery in assessing cognitive function in older Japanese individuals

Background Accurate and simple detection of cognitive decline is important for the prediction of dementia and identification of drug indications. The Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) is useful in assessing cognitive function during the preclinical and mild cognitive impairment stages. However, whether it is beneficial for assessing brain function in older Japanese adults remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to assess the association of the CBB score with those of traditional cognitive tests and brain imaging in assessing cognitive function in older Japanese adults with normal cognitive function and those with mild cognitive impairment. Methods Community-dwelling older adults in Usuki city underwent CBB, traditional cognitive tests, magnetic resonance imaging, and amyloid positron emission tomography. The association of the CBB score with the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J), Japanese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), hippocampal atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging, and brain amyloid deposition on 11 C-Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography was examined. Results In total, 170 participants were included in this study. Among them, 59 were positive for the C-Pittsburgh compound-B. The CBB score was significantly associated with the MoCA-J and MMSE score in all patients. Further, it was significantly associated with hippocampal atrophy in the amyloid-positive group. Conclusions The CBB is associated with the MoCA-J and MMSE scores and may thus be a useful tool for the assessing cognitive decline in Japanese older adults.