Neural Underpinnings of the Decline of Topographical Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Spatial navigation is one of the cognitive functions known to decline in both normal and pathological aging. In the present study, we aimed to assess the neural correlates of the decline of topographical memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Patients with aMCI and age-matched controls were engaged in an intensive learning paradigm, lasting for 5 days, during which they had to encode 1 path from an egocentric perspective and 1 path from an allocentric perspective. After the learning period, they were asked to retrieve each of these paths using an allocentric or egocentric frame of reference while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. We found that patients with aMCI showed a specific deficit in storing new topographical memories from an allocentric perspective and retrieving stored information to perform the egocentric task. Imaging data suggest that this general decline is correlated with hypoactivation of the brain areas generally involved in spatial navigation.
Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy maddalena.boccia@uniroma1.it.|Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Maddalena
M
Boccia
Memory Clinic, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Maria Caterina
MC
Silveri
Radiology Department, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Italy.
Umberto
U
Sabatini
Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.|Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Cecilia
C
Guariglia
Klingberg Lab, Neuroscience Department, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Federico
F
Nemmi
D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D065854:Spatial Navigation / Q000502:physiology*
MCI; fMRI; navigation; topographical memory