Verbal serial list learning in mild cognitive impairment: A profile analysis of interference, forgetting, and errors

David J. Libon, Mark W. Bondi, Catherine C. Price, Melissa Lamar, Joel Eppig, Denene M. Wambach, Christine Nieves, Lisa Delano-Wood, Tania Giovannetti, Carol Lippa, Anahid Kabasakalian, Stephanie Cosentino, Rod Swenson, Dana L. Penney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

90 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using cluster analysis Libon et al. (2010) found three verbal serial list-learning profiles involving delay memory test performance in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Amnesic MCI (aMCI) patients presented with low scores on delay free recall and recognition tests; mixed MCI (mxMCI) patients scored higher on recognition compared to delay free recall tests; and dysexecutive MCI (dMCI) patients generated relatively intact scores on both delay test conditions. The aim of the current research was to further characterize memory impairment in MCI by examining forgetting/savings, interference from a competing word list, intrusion errors/perseverations, intrusion word frequency, and recognition foils in these three statistically determined MCI groups compared to normal control (NC) participants. The aMCI patients exhibited little savings, generated more highly prototypic intrusion errors, and displayed indiscriminate responding to delayed recognition foils. The mxMCI patients exhibited higher saving scores, fewer and less prototypic intrusion errors, and selectively endorsed recognition foils from the interference list. dMCI patients also selectively endorsed recognition foils from the interference list but performed similarly compared to NC participants. These data suggest the existence of distinct memory impairments in MCI and caution against the routine use of a single memory test score to operationally define MCI.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)905-914
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of the International Neuropsychological Society
Volume17
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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