title: Learning and error patterns in the Chinese Verbal Learning Test in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and normal elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The discrimination between normal elderly (NC) and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is of clinical relevance since the conversion from MCI to Alzheimer dementia (AD) is high.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study enrolled 216 amnestic MCI patients and 103 NC from our memory clinics and assessed whether the learning curve, recall and cued scores, as well as error patterns from the Chinese Version Verbal Learning Test (CVVLT) helped to distinguish between these two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed that subjects with MCI had a lower rate of acquisition and deceleration of learning in the learning curve. The MCI group also showed a lower retention rate and recall scores as compared with the NC group. Further, the error patterns offered discrimination values between the two groups in total number of perseverations, intrusion in the cued recall, as well as prototypic and unrelated errors in recognition. An inverse correlation was seen between memory scores and error patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that by combining the learning and error patterns from the verbal memory test, patients with MCI can be better differentiated from normal elderly.
authors: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Nai-Ching
authors: NC
authors: Chen
authors: Yu-Ing
authors: YI
authors: Lin
authors: Chiung-Chih
authors: CC
authors: Chang
authors: Ker-Neng
authors: KN
authors: Lin
authors: Yao-Chung
authors: YC
authors: Chuang
authors: Ching
authors: C
authors: Chen
authors: Ming-Chien
authors: MC
authors: Tu
authors: Pei-Ning
authors: PN
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*