Informant-reported cognitive symptoms that predict amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The current study utilized a case-control design using data from an ongoing validation study of the Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ), an informant-based dementia assessment. Data from 51 cognitively normal (CN) individuals participating in a brain donation program and 47 aMCI individuals seen in a neurology practice at the same institute were analyzed to determine which AQ items differentiated aMCI from CN individuals.Forward stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis which controlled for age and education showed that 4 AQ items were strong indicators of aMCI which included: repetition of statements and/or questions [OR 13.20 (3.02, 57.66)]; trouble knowing the day, date, month, year, and time [OR 17.97 (2.63, 122.77)]; difficulty managing finances [OR 11.60 (2.10, 63.99)]; and decreased sense of direction [OR 5.84 (1.09, 31.30)].Overall, these data indicate that certain informant-reported cognitive symptoms may help clinicians differentiate individuals with aMCI from those with normal cognition. Items pertaining to repetition of statements, orientation, ability to manage finances, and visuospatial disorientation had high discriminatory power.The process of differentiating age-associated memory decline from those who might have a clinically significant disorder of memory and cognition is difficult. In particular, distinguishing individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from those who are cognitively normal (CN) is challenging, as memory and cognitive complaints are often reported in both groups from both the patient and informants [1]. Given that the current diagnostic criteria for aMCI include subjective (patient and/or family report of decline) and objective (neuropsychological testing) evidence of memory decline, a clinician's initial impression from a relatively short office visit may not allow for an accurate assessment [2].Amnestic MCI was first characterized as a syndrome consisting of memory performance at or below 1.5 standard deviations