Title | Early Detection of Learning Difficulties when Confronted with Novel Information in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Stage 1. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2017 |
Authors | Tort-Merino, A, Valech, N, Peñaloza, C, Grönholm-Nyman, P, León, M, Olives, J, Estanga, A, Ecay-Torres, M, Fortea, J, Martínez-Lage, P, Molinuevo, JL, Laine, M, Rodríguez-Fornells, A, Rami, L |
Journal | J Alzheimers Dis |
Volume | 58 |
Issue | 3 |
Pagination | 855-870 |
Date Published | 2017 |
ISSN | 1875-8908 |
Abstract | We employed a highly demanding experimental associative learning test (the AFE-T) to explore memory functioning in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease stage 1 (PreAD-1) and stage 2 (PreAD-2). The task consisted in the learning of unknown object/name pairs and our comprehensive setup allowed the analysis of learning curves, immediate recall, long-term forgetting rates at one week, three months, and six months, and relearning curves. Forty-nine cognitively healthy subjects were included and classified according to the presence or absence of abnormal CSF biomarkers (Control, n = 31; PreAD-1, n = 14; PreAD-2, n = 4). Control and PreAD-1 performances on the experimental test were compared by controlling for age and education. These analyses showed clear learning difficulties in PreAD-1 subjects (F = 6.98; p = 0.01). Between-group differences in long-term forgetting rates were less notable, reaching statistical significance only for the three-month cued forgetting rate (F = 4.83; p = 0.03). Similarly, relearning sessions showed only statistical trends between the groups (F = 3.22; p = 0.08). In the whole sample, significant correlations between CSF Aβ42/tau ratio and the AFE-T were found, both in the total learning score (r = 0.52; p |
DOI | 10.3233/JAD-161173 |
Alternate Journal | J. Alzheimers Dis. |
PubMed ID | 28505969 |