University of Tasmania, Australia

Previous studies indicate that 10-15 per cent of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will develop dementia each year. Further, approximately 50 per cent of persons diagnosed with MCI develop Alzheimer's dementia within three years. As only 1-2 per cent of adults over 55 years of age will develop Alzheimer's dementia each year, having MCI seems to significantly increase the risk for developing dementia.

Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to predict which individuals with MCI will:

(a) develop Alzheimer's dementia;

(b) develop another type of dementia;

(c) remain stable (memory problems persist but do not worsen); or

(d) recover. The project is an ongoing longitudinal study following adults with and without MCI over time.

The MCI study will attempt to identify a set of diagnostic markers that accurately identify those people with MCI who are at greatest risk of developing dementia.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a pattern of subclinical impairments to one or more areas of cognitive function (eg memory). MCI is associated with increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s dementia. However, to date there are no reliable and accurate diagnostic criteria for MCI, with 40-70% of those with MCI recovering to normal levels of function within 2 years of diagnosis. The MCI study will longitudinally examine adults over 60 years of age with MCI to identify a set of accurate and reliable diagnostic markers for risk of developing dementia. Such an accurate diagnosis will allow future suffers to receive medication that slows or prevents the progression of dementia before the onset of dementia

Each participant in the MCI study will complete an annual comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The results of each individual’s performances over time will enable us to identify a set of cognitive markers that best predict those at risk of developing dementia at a future point.

Initial results from the MCI study indicate that there are 3 subtypes of MCI: amnestic-MCI (a-MCI); non-amnestic MCI (na-MCI); and multi-domain MCI (md-MCI). We have found those with the multiple-domain amnestic variant of MCI are at highest risk of developing dementia within 2 years. The study is continuing to confirm these findings and to isolate a set of diagnostic factors that predict this risk for developing dementia in MCI sufferers.

Publications

Saunders, N.LJ. & Summers, M.J. (2011). Longitudinal deficits to attention, executive and working memory in subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychology, 25 (2), 237-248.

 Saunders, N.L.J. & Summers, M.J. (2010). Attention and working memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32 (4), 350-357.

Conference papers/presentations

Summers, M.J. & Saunders, N.L.J. (2011). Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment can differentiate between adults with MCI who develop Alzheimer’s disease from those who recover. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 7 (4), Suppl.1, S680.

 Summers, M.J. & Saunders, N.L.J. (2011). Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment can differentiate between adults with MCI who develop Alzheimer’s disease from those who recover. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2011, July 16-21, Paris, France. [platform paper]

Klekociuk, S. & Summers, M.J. (2010). Differential working memory function in mild cognitive impairment subtypes. The Abstracts of the 15^th Annual Conference of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists; Combined Abstracts of 2010 Psychology Conferences, p. 58. [platform paper]

Saunders, N.L.J. & Summers, M.J. (2010). How stable is the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) classification? The Abstracts of the 15^th Annual Conference of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists; Combined Abstracts of 2010 Psychology Conferences, p. 58. [platform paper]

Saunders, N. & Summers, M.J. (2009). Longitudinal trajectory of attention and working memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment. The Abstracts of the 15^th Annual Conference of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists; Combined Abstracts of 2009 Psychology Conferences, p. 181. [platform paper]

Saunders, N. & Summers, M.J. (2008). Deficits to attention and working memory in subtypes of MCI: The Abstracts of the College of Clinical Neuropsychologists 14th Annual Conference. Australian Journal of Psychology, 60 (suppl. 1), 222. [platform paper]

Saunders, N. & Summers, M.J. (2007). Deficits to attention and working memory in MCI and Alzheimer’s dementia: The Abstracts of the 13^th Annual Conference of the APS - College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. Australian Journal of Psychology, 59 (suppl. 1), 227. [platform paper]

Saunders, N. & Summers, M.J. (2007). Deficits in attention and working memory differentiate between subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). International Brain Research Organisation 2007 Annual Conference, Satellite Meeting – Neurobiology of the Aging Brain. 10^th July 2007, Hobart (poster).

Theses

Saunders, N.L.J. (2011). A longitudinal examination of attention, working memory and executive function deficits in subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania. Supervisor: Dr M.J. Summers.

Lenehan, M. (2011). The utility of subjective memory complaints in classifying subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Thesis; University of Tasmania. Supervisor: Dr M.J. Summers.

Klekociuk, S.Z. (2009). Differential functions of working memory components in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes. Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Thesis; University of Tasmania. Supervisor: Dr M.J. Summers.

Johnson, P. (2009). Impairments to attentional processing discriminate between subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal controls. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Thesis; University of Tasmania. Supervisor: Dr M.J. Summers.

Project Leaders (External)

Members (External)

Ms Shannon Klekociuk (School of Psychology, UTAS)  Shannon.Klekociuk@utas.edu.au

Dr Nichole Saunders

Prof Jeff Summers (School of Psychology, UTAS)  Jeff.Summers@utas.edu.au

Prof James Vickers, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (WDREC)James.Vickers@utas.edu.au

Dr Tracey Dickson (WDREC)  Tracey.Dickson@utas.edu.au