Individuals at the very early stages of dementia (most often Alzheimer's disease) are referred to as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, concrete clinical diagnostic criteria have not yet been established because cognitive and daily functional impairments are not yet well characterized in individuals with MCI. The current research criteria states that individuals with MCI must exhibit memory impairment beyond that of normal aging and maintain relatively preserved daily functional abilities (Petersen, 2004). Yet, recent research indicates that MCI patients are likely to experience subtle functional impairments (Farias et al., 2009;Pernesczky et al., 2006a). The problem is that most of the studies assessing daily functioning have used either cognitive rating forms or self- or informant-rated instrumental activities of daily living which can lead to biased results (Albert et al., 1999;Wadley et al., 2003;Razani et al., 2007). Additionally, very little attention has been paid to caregiver's of MCI individuals, given that there is an assumption that individuals with MCI do not require assistance in their daily activities. Thus, the aims of the present study are. 1) to characterize daily functioning in MCI individuals using a performance-based measure and to examine how neuropsychological impairment affects functional ability in MCI patients relative to those with diagnosed dementia, 2) to characterize how neuropsychological and functional impairments affect caregivers of MCI individuals, and 3) to assess whether the rate of cognitive decline can predict the rate of functional decline in MCI individuals and the rate of increased burden for their caregivers. Forty individuals with MCI (using the current research diagnostic criteria for MCI) will be recruited and administered a clinical neuropsychological test battery that includes tests of memory, attention, abstract reasoning, and information processing speed, as well as a performance-based functional task. The performance of the MCI individuals will be compared to a database of individuals with dementia (Alzhiemer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia, and Vascular dementia) and normal controls. Additionally, next-of-kin caregivers will be administered a set of questionnaires in order to assess the level of burden and psychological distress experienced. Patients and caregivers will be administered tests at baseline and 1-year follow-up periods. The functional abilities of the groups will be compared, the degree to which neuropsychological test scores predict daily functioning will be examined, and finally decline in cognitive and functional abilities over a 1-year period will be assessed. The results will better characterize degree, type and severity of deficits experienced by MCI individuals and their caregivers, which will assist with refining the diagnostic criteria for MCI and lead to better treatment planning for patients and their families.

Public Health Relevance

Currently, there are no formal clinical diagnostic criteria for individuals experiencing mild cognitive impairment and very little is known about the daily functional abilities of such individuals. Also, little is known about the burden of care experienced by their next-of-kin. Gaining this information can assist with refining diagnostic criteria and aid with treatment planning.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Continuance Award (SC3)
Project #
5SC3GM094051-02
Application #
8098222
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZGM1-MBRS-8 (BH))
Program Officer
Rogers, Michael E
Project Start
2010-07-01
Project End
2014-06-30
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2012-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$107,663
Indirect Cost
Name
California State University Northridge
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
055752331
City
Northridge
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
91330
Avila, Justina; Flowers, Amina; Scott, Travis M et al. (2015) Daily Activity Abilities in MCI, Alzheimer's Disease, and Healthy Controls. GeroPsych (Bern) 28:191-200
Razani, Jill; Corona, Roberto; Quilici, Jill et al. (2014) The Effects of Declining Functional Abilities in Dementia Patients and Increases Psychological Distress on Caregiver Burden Over a One-Year Period. Clin Gerontol 37:235-252
Miloyan, Beyon H; Razani, Jill; Larco, Andrea et al. (2013) Aspects of Attention Predict Real-World Task Performance in Alzheimer's Disease. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 20:203-210
Razani, Jill; Bayan, Stacey; Funes, Cynthia et al. (2011) Patterns of deficits in daily functioning and cognitive performance of patients with Alzheimer disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 24:23-32