Increased biomagnetic activity in healthy elderly with subjective memory complaints.
OBJECTIVE
Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are frequently reported by elderly people with or without objective cognitive impairment (OMI) as assessed by neuropsychological tests. We investigate whether SMCs are associated with altered brain biomagnetic patterns even in the absence of OMI.


METHODS
We report spatio-temporal patterns of brain magnetic activity recorded with magnetoencephalography during a memory task in 51 elderly participants divided into the following groups: patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with SMC and OMI, individuals with SMC but not OMI, and healthy controls without neither SMC nor OMI. Exclusion criteria for all three groups included a diagnosis of depression or any other psychiatric condition.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences were found between MCI patients and participants with SMC. However, the SMC showed higher activation, between 200 and 900 ms after stimulus onset, than the control group in posterior ventral regions and in the dorsal pathway. MCI patients showed higher activation than the control group in the posterior part of the ventral pathway.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that similar physiological mechanisms may underlie SMC and MCI, which could be two stages in a cognitive continuum.


CONCLUSIONS
MEG provide different neurophysiological profiles between SMC and control subjects.
Maestu
Fernando
F
Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid), Spain; Departamento de Psicología Básica II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: fmaestuu@psi.ucm.es.
Baykova
Evgenia
E
Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid), Spain.
Ruiz
José María
JM
Centro de Prevención del Deterioro Cognitivo del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Spain.
Montejo
Pedro
P
Centro de Prevención del Deterioro Cognitivo del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Spain.
Montenegro
Mercedes
M
Centro de Prevención del Deterioro Cognitivo del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Spain.
Llanero
Marcos
M
Centro de Prevención del Deterioro Cognitivo del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Spain.
Solesio
Elena
E
Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid), Spain; Departamento de Psicología Básica II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Gil
Pedro
P
Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Servicio de Geriatría Unidad de Memoria, Madrid, Spain.
Yubero
Raquel
R
Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Servicio de Geriatría Unidad de Memoria, Madrid, Spain.
Paul
Nuria
N
Departamento de Psiquiatría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Pozo
Francisco
F
Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid), Spain.
Nevado
Angel
A
Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid), Spain; Departamento de Psicología Básica II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology