title: Interference Impacts Working Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment.
abstract: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease (AD). The most common cognitive impairment of MCI includes episodic memory loss and difficulties in working memory (WM). Interference can deplete WM, and an optimal WM performance requires an effective control of attentional resources between the memoranda and the incoming stimuli. Difficulties in handling interference lead to forgetting. However, the interplay between interference and WM in MCI is not well-understood and needs further investigation. The current study investigated the effect of interference during a WM task in 20 MCIs and 20 healthy elder volunteers. Participants performed a delayed match-to-sample paradigm which consisted in two interference conditions, distraction and interruption, and one control condition without any interference. Results evidenced a disproportionate impact of interference on the WM performance of MCIs, mainly in the presence of interruption. These findings demonstrate that interference, and more precisely interruption, is an important proxy for memory-related deficits in MCI. Thus, the current findings reveal novel evidence regarding the causes of WM forgetting in MCI patients, associated with difficulties in the mechanisms of attentional control.
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology of Madrid (CBT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Aurtenetxe
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology of Madrid (CBT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo Jose Cela UniversityMadrid, Spain.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: García-Pacios
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology of Madrid (CBT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes), Universidad Complutense de MadridMadrid, Spain.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Del Río
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology of Madrid (CBT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Universitat de les Illes BalearsPalma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors: María E
authors: ME
authors: López
authors: Centro Integral de Neurociencias AC, HM Puerta del Sur, Hospitales de Madrid MostolesMadrid, Spain; CEU San Pablo UniversityMadrid, Spain.
authors: José A
authors: JA
authors: Pineda-Pardo
authors: Department of Neurology, San Carlos University Hospital Madrid, Spain.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Marcos
authors: Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes), Universidad Complutense de MadridMadrid, Spain; Seniors Centre of the District of ChamartínMadrid, Spain.
authors: Maria L
authors: ML
authors: Delgado Losada
authors: Department of Basic Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors: José M
authors: JM
authors: López-Frutos
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology of Madrid (CBT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes), Universidad Complutense de MadridMadrid, Spain.
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Maestú
keywords: aging; behavioral research; interference; mild cognitive impairment; working memory