Deficits in retrospective and prospective components underlying prospective memory tasks in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
OBJECTIVE
By use of purer indices of PM and RM components than previous studies and adoption of three PM task types, the present study aimed to investigate the deficits of these two components underlying global impairment at a PM task in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).


METHODS
Nineteen aMCI patients and 22 normal controls were examined on event-, time- and activity-based PM tasks. Separate scores were obtained for initiation of intentions (i.e. PM component) and for the content of the intentions (i.e. RM component).


RESULTS
Individuals with aMCI achieved lower PM component (but not RM component) scores than NCs across all three PM tasks. Furthermore, there was a trend for greater impairment on activity-based than time-based and event-based PM tasks, but which did not reach significance. In addition, a significant association between PM component and an executive function test was observed in aMCI group. PM task performance, especially activity-based PM task performance and PM component performance, successfully discriminated between aMCI and NC and was able to do so above and beyond the executive function tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Our finding suggested that the deficits in PM component, related to a disrupted executive control processes, were responsible for the impaired ability of individuals with aMCI to realize delayed intentions.
Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.
Ting
T
Zhou
Lucas S
LS
Broster
Yang
Y
Jiang
Feng
F
Bao
Huali
H
Wang
Juan
J
Li
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies