Exploring the Trajectory of Dementia
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.
On an annual basis each person undergoes comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. This enables us to identify at the earliest stages the development of Alzheimer's dementia, and it is hoped will enable us to isolate neuropsychological markers that predict risk for later developing Alzheimer's dementia in those with MCI.
Accurately identifying those adults with MCI who are at risk of later developing Alzheimer's dementia will allow future suffers to receive medication that slows or prevents the progression of dementia before the onset of dementia.
Initial results from the longitudinal study indicate that there are 3 distinctly identifiable subtypes of MCI: amnestic-MCI (a-MCI); non-amnestic MCI (na-MCI); and multi-domain MCI(md-MCI). In using a comprehensive and sensitive neuropsychological assessment battery we have found that pure a-MCI is extremely rare, reflecting less that 10% of the MCI sample which is in stark contradiction to early MCI studies that suggest a-MCI is common. We found that in the majority of cases of memory impairment sensitive tests revealed additional impairments to attention or working memory processing; therefore md-MCI the most prevalent form of MCI in our community-based sample. We are continuing to monitor this sample to determine the rate of progression to dementia in order to develop an accurate early detection of risk for dementia in older adults with MCI.
Research Team:
Dr Matthew Summers, Research Fellow (Group Leader and Contact Person)
Ms Shannon Klekociuk, PhD candidate, School of Psychology,
Ms Nichole Saunders, PhD candidate, School of Psychology, UTAS
Dr Tracey Dickson, WDREC Senior Research Fellow
Professor James Vickers, WDREC Co-Director
Professor Andrew Robinson, WDREC Co-Director
Dr Christine Stirling, WDREC Senior Research Fellow
Research Collaborator:
Professor Jeffery Summers, School of Psychology, UTAS
Outcomes:
Saunders NLJ, Summers MJ. Attention and working memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2010, 32(4):350-357.
Saunders,NLJ., Summers, MJ. Longitudinal trajectory of attention and working memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment, Abstracts of the 15th Annual Conference of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. 2009: 181
Saunders NL, Summers MJ. Deficits to attention and working memory in subtypes of MCI. Australian J of Psychol. 2008, 60 (supp 1): 222
Saunders NL, Summers MJ. Deficits to attention and working memory in MCI and Alzheimer's dementia. Australian J of Psychol. 2007, 59 (supp 1):227.