title: Recognition of famous names predicts cognitive decline in healthy elders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ability to recognize familiar people is impaired in both Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Dementia (AD). In addition, both groups often demonstrate a time-limited temporal gradient (TG) in which well known people from decades earlier are better recalled than those learned recently. In this study, we examined the TG in cognitively intact elders for remote famous names (1950-1965) compared to more recent famous names (1995-2005). We hypothesized that the TG pattern on a famous name recognition task (FNRT) would predict future cognitive decline, and also show a significant correlation with hippocampal volume.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight healthy elders (ages 65-90) with age-appropriate cognitive functioning at baseline were administered a FNRT. Follow-up testing 18 months later produced two groups: Declining (≥ 1 SD reduction on at least one of three measures) and Stable (< 1 SD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Declining group (N = 27) recognized fewer recent famous names than the Stable group (N = 51), although recognition for remote names was comparable. Baseline MRI volumes for both the left and right hippocampi were significantly smaller in the Declining group than the Stable group. Smaller baseline hippocampal volume was also significantly correlated with poorer performance for recent, but not remote famous names. Logistic regression analyses indicated that baseline TG performance was a significant predictor of group status (Declining vs. Stable) independent of chronological age and APOE ε4 inheritance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TG for famous name recognition may serve as an early preclinical cognitive marker of cognitive decline in healthy older individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA. Michael.seidenberg@rosalindfranklin.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
authors.forename: Christina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: Kristy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nielson
authors.forename: J Carson
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kandah
authors.forename: Leslie M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Guidotti Breting
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novitski
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hantke
authors.forename: Alissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Butts
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*