Differential Focal and Nonfocal Prospective Memory Accuracy in a Demographically Diverse Group of Nondemented Community-Dwelling Older Adults. (17th November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chi, Susan Y.; Rabin, Laura A.; Aronov, Avner; Fogel, Joshua; Kapoor, Ashu; Wang, Cuiling
• Is Part Of: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Volume 20:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1015
• Page End: 1027
• Publication Date: 2014-11-17
• Subjects: Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1017/S1355617714000964
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-6177

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Although prospective memory (PM) is compromised in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), it is unclear which specific cognitive processes underlie these PM difficulties. We investigated older adults' performance on a computerized event-based focal versus nonfocal PM task that made varying demands on the amount of attentional control required to support intention retrieval. Participants were nondemented individuals (mean age=81.8 years; female=66.1%) enrolled in a community-based longitudinal study, including those with amnestic MCI (aMCI), nonamnestic MCI (naMCI), subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and healthy controls (HC). Participants included in the primary analysis (<italic>n</italic>=189) completed the PM task and recalled and/or recognized <italic>both</italic> focal and nonfocal PM cues presented in the task. Participants and their informants also completed a questionnaire assessing everyday PM failures. Relative to HC, those with aMCI and naMCI were significantly impaired in focal PM accuracy (<italic>p</italic><.05). In a follow-up analysis that included 13 additional participants who successfully recalled and/or recognized <italic>at least</italic> one of the two PM cues, the naMCI group showed deficits in nonfocal PM accuracy (<italic>p</italic><.05). There was a significant negative correlation between informant reports of PM difficulties and nonfocal PM accuracy (<italic>p</italic><.01). PM failures in aMCI may be primarily related to impairment of spontaneous retrieval processes associated with the medial temporal lobe system, while PM failures in naMCI potentially indicate additional deficits in executive control functions and prefrontal systems. The observed focal versus nonfocal PM performance profiles in aMCI and naMCI may constitute specific behavioral markers of PM decline that result from compromise of separate neurocognitive systems. (<italic>JINS</italic>, 2014, <italic>20</italic>, 1–13)</p> </abstract>