%0 Journal Article %J J Alzheimers Dis %D 2018 %T Assessing Working Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Serial Order Recall. %A Emrani, Sheina %A Libon, David J %A Lamar, Melissa %A Price, Catherine C %A Jefferson, Angela L %A Gifford, Katherine A %A Hohman, Timothy J %A Nation, Daniel A %A Delano-Wood, Lisa %A Jak, Amy %A Bangen, Katherine J %A Bondi, Mark W %A Brickman, Adam M %A Manly, Jennifer %A Swenson, Rodney %A Au, Rhoda %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Cognitive Dysfunction %K Executive Function %K Female %K Humans %K Male %K Memory Disorders %K Memory, Short-Term %K Mental Recall %K Neuropsychological Tests %K Regression Analysis %K Serial Learning %X

BACKGROUND: Working memory (WM) is often assessed with serial order tests such as repeating digits backward. In prior dementia research using the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT), only aggregate test performance was examined.

OBJECTIVE: The current research tallied primacy/recency effects, out-of-sequence transposition errors, perseverations, and omissions to assess WM deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS: Memory clinic patients (n = 66) were classified into three groups: single domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), combined mixed domain/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI), and non-MCI where patients did not meet criteria for MCI. Serial order/WM ability was assessed by asking participants to repeat 7 trials of five digits backwards. Serial order position accuracy, transposition errors, perseverations, and omission errors were tallied.

RESULTS: A 3 (group)×5 (serial position) repeated measures ANOVA yielded a significant group×trial interaction. Follow-up analyses found attenuation of the recency effect for mixed/dys MCI patients. Mixed/dys MCI patients scored lower than non-MCI patients for serial position 3 (p < 0.003) serial position 4 (p < 0.002); and lower than both group for serial position 5 (recency; p < 0.002). Mixed/dys MCI patients also produced more transposition errors than both groups (p < 0.010); and more omissions (p < 0.020), and perseverations errors (p < 0.018) than non-MCI patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The attenuation of a recency effect using serial order parameters obtained from the BDT may provide a useful operational definition as well as additional diagnostic information regarding working memory deficits in MCI.

%B J Alzheimers Dis %V 61 %P 917-928 %8 2018 %G eng %N 3 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29254087?dopt=Abstract %R 10.3233/JAD-170555 %0 Journal Article %J J Alzheimers Dis %D 2018 %T Sex Influences the Accuracy of Subjective Memory Complaint Reporting in Older Adults. %A Sundermann, Erin E %A Edmonds, Emily C %A Delano-Wood, Lisa %A Galasko, Douglas R %A Salmon, David P %A Rubin, Leah H %A Bondi, Mark W %K Aged %K Cognitive Dysfunction %K Female %K Humans %K Logistic Models %K Male %K Memory Disorders %K Mental Recall %K Neuropsychological Tests %K Self Report %K Sex Factors %X

Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are required when diagnosing amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), although their relationship with objective memory performance and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology remains unclear. We investigated whether the sex of the patient/participant moderates these associations. Participants were 940 normal control (NC) and aMCI participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. SMC were assessed via the memory scale of the Everyday Cognition questionnaire. Discrepancy scores were calculated between self- and informant-reports and categorized into "overestimates," "comparable estimates", and "underestimates" of SMC. We conducted linear and logistic regressions to examine the interaction of sex with self- and informant-reported SMC and discrepancy group on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Immediate and Delayed Recall and on PET measures of amyloid-β (Aβ) positivity. Diagnosis-stratified analyses were also conducted. Overall, there were sex by self- and informant-reported SMC interactions for Immediate and Delayed Recall. Despite a higher proportion of "overestimates" in women, greater self- and informant-reported SMC showed a stronger relationship to poorer RAVLT scores in women versus men. Diagnosis-stratified analyses revealed that results were driven by aMCI participants. Conversely, overall, greater self- and informant-reported SMC related to greater odds of Aβ positivity regardless of sex. In diagnosis-stratified analyses, only informant-reported SMC related to Aβ positivity in aMCI. Relative to "comparable estimates," "underestimates" of SMC were associated with poorer RAVLT scores across sexes in the overall sample and in aMCI. The predictive utility of self-report SMC may be limited to women in aMCI. Sex differences should be considered when evaluating SMC.

%B J Alzheimers Dis %V 61 %P 1163-1178 %8 2018 %G eng %N 3 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29332038?dopt=Abstract %R 10.3233/JAD-170425