title: Is there a specific pattern of attention deficit in mild cognitive impairment with subcortical vascular features? Evidence from the Attention Network Test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate state between normal aging and early dementia. Some MCI patients show white matter hyperintensities in magnetic resonance imaging, revealing subcortical vascular damage (SVD). This study aimed to evaluate potential attention deficits not previously described in these patients. Specifically, we evaluated attention network functioning in MCI on the basis of Posner's cognitive neuroscience model, which considers attention as a set of networks: alerting, orienting and executive control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of participants were tested: 19 MCI patients with SVD (svMCI), 15 MCI patients free from SVD (nvMCI) and 19 healthy controls (HC). We used a task in which the three attention networks and their interactions can be assessed simultaneously, the Attention Network Test (ANT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The svMCI group showed smaller orienting effect compared with the nvMCI and HC groups. In contrast to the HC and nvMCI groups, svMCI patients did not show improvement in the executive network from the valid visual cue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  svMCI patients show a deficit in orienting attention networks. This deficit could be related to an effect of SVD on the cholinergic system because acetylcholine is implicated in the modulation of covert orienting responses of attention.
authors.affiliation: University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campoy
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García Santos
authors.forename: Martirio M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Antequera
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Sevilla
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antúnez
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fuentes
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine