title: A Brief Computerized Paired Associate Test for the Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
abstract: Semantic memory interference has been found to be a predictive cognitive marker of incipient AD. This is relevant given that developing assessment paradigms to identify subtle cognitive and functional deficits is a priority in preclinical Alzheimer's disease research.
  
  
  
  To examine the utility of a novel computerized paired associate test in distinguishing between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal (CN) groups of older adults residing in the community.
  
  
  
  Participants that were CN (n = 64) or MCI (n = 34) were administered the Miami Test of Semantic Interference and Learning (MITSI-L). This novel instrument is a brief, computerized paired associate test that measured the strength of memory binding of semantically related word pairs and introduced a proactive semantic interference condition which required participants to make different associations between semantically similar targets. A series of ANOVAs explored differences on MITSI-L performance. Logistic regression and receiver operator curves (ROC) analyses were employed to further determine discriminative validity.
  
  
  
  MCI participants had lower scores on all indices relative to CN elders. A composite of two subscores correctly classified 85.3% of MCI and 84.4% of CN participants. Area under the ROC was higher relative to the MMSE, immediate memory for passages, and several subtests of a sensitive memory measure, the LASSI-L.
  
  
  
  The MITSI-L is a computerized test that can successfully differentiate MCI from CN participants. Area under the ROC curve exceeded that of global mental status and other memory measures. The effectiveness of the MITSI-L in detecting MCI, and its brief administration and portability render it worthy of further research.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Rosie E
authors: RE
authors: Curiel
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Crocco
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Marian
authors: M
authors: Rosado
authors: Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA.|Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Ranjan
authors: R
authors: Duara
authors: Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA.
authors: Maria T
authors: MT
authors: Greig
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Arlene
authors: A
authors: Raffo
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.|Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Loewenstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D000073216:Mental Status and Dementia Tests / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; MITSI-L; computerized tests; memory; mild cognitive impairment