Key result
Executive function testing reveals apparent cognitive decline in elderly individuals self-reporting normal cognition.
Why the study?
Subtle memory decline preceding Alzheimer's disease can go unnoticed by individuals and caregivers, potentially interfering with clinical trials involving elderly cognitive performance.
Cohort
Elderly individuals who self-report normal cognitive performance may actually have subtle cognitive decline detectable by executive function tests, which can confound clinical trials.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Subtle pre-MCI decline often goes unnoticed, delaying trial entry; hypothesis-generating for proactive screening in at-risk cohorts.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be preceded by subtle memory decline that can last a decade or more before progressing to what would be diagnosed as the mild cognitive impairment stage. During this early stage of decline, individuals and even their caregivers can fail to perceive any serious difficulty or need to consult a physician. Herein, we present evidence in support of these concerns, and demonstrate how this can interfere not only with clinical trials of AD but also those involving cognitive performance of elderly individuals without intentional reference to AD.
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Shea et al. (2018) conducted a cohort in Cognitive decline. Executive Function Test was evaluated. An executive function test revealed apparent cognitive decline in elderly individuals self-reporting normal cognitive performance, which may interfere with clinical trials.
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