Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment revisited after one year. Preliminary results of a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
The diagnostic stability of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on short-term follow-up is a key issue in the characterization of this clinical syndrome. We aim to determine the cognitive outcome after 1 year of follow-up in a cohort of older adults.


METHODS
Baseline clinical and neuropsychological assessments were carried out in older subjects recruited at a tertiary memory clinic. The subjects were reassessed after 1 year of follow-up with the same clinical and neuropsychological protocol.


RESULTS
A total of 115 older adults, including MCI (n = 54) and controls (n = 61), underwent baseline and follow-up evaluation. Ten subjects classified as MCI at baseline (23%) resumed normal cognitive function and 13 controls (21%) progressed to MCI upon follow-up (chi(2) = 0.015, d.f. = 1, p = 0.90). The subjects diagnosed as having MCI on both assessments were older (p = 0.002) and had a worse global cognitive performance according to the Cambridge Cognitive Test (p = 0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
The subjects who maintain the MCI status are older and have a worse baseline cognitive performance as well as multiple cognitive deficits.
Diniz
Breno Satler
BS
Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. brenosatler@usp.br
Nunes
Paula Villela
PV
Yassuda
Mônica Sanches
MS
Forlenza
Orestes Vicente
OV
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012306:Risk; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors