Dataset Information

Visual contrast sensitivity in Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and older adults with cognitive complaints.

ABSTRACT: Deficits in contrast sensitivity (CS) have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the extent of these deficits in prodromal AD stages, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or even earlier, has not been investigated. In this study, CS was assessed using frequency doubling technology in older adults with AD (n = 10), amnestic MCI (n = 28), cognitive complaints without performance deficits (CC; n = 20), and healthy controls (HC; n = 29). The association between CS and cognition was also evaluated. Finally, the accuracy of CS measures for classifying MCI versus HC was evaluated. CS deficits were found in AD and MCI, while CC showed intermediate performance between MCI and HC. Upper right visual field CS showed the most significant difference among groups. CS was also associated with cognitive performance. Finally, CS measures accurately classified MCI versus HC. The CS deficits in AD and MCI, and intermediate performance in CC, indicate that these measures are sensitive to early AD-associated changes. Therefore, frequency doubling technology-based measures of CS may have promise as a novel AD biomarker.

SUBMITTER: Risacher SL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3545045 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Visual contrast sensitivity in Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and older adults with cognitive complaints.

Risacher Shannon L SL Wudunn Darrell D Pepin Susan M SM MaGee Tamiko R TR McDonald Brenna C BC Flashman Laura A LA Wishart Heather A HA Pixley Heather S HS Rabin Laura A LA Paré Nadia N Englert Jessica J JJ Schwartz Eben E Curtain Joshua R JR West John D JD O'Neill Darren P DP Santulli Robert B RB Newman Richard W RW Saykin Andrew J AJ

Neurobiology of aging 20121018 4

Deficits in contrast sensitivity (CS) have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the extent of these deficits in prodromal AD stages, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or even earlier, has not been investigated. In this study, CS was assessed using frequency doubling technology in older adults with AD (n = 10), amnestic MCI (n = 28), cognitive complaints without performance deficits (CC; n = 20), and healthy controls (HC; n = 29). The association between CS and cognition wa ...[more]

PMID: 23084085

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Project description:BackgroundInterest in electronic health (eHealth) technologies to screen for and treat a variety of medical and mental health problems is growing exponentially. However, no studies to date have investigated the feasibility of using such e-tools for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe patterns of Internet use, as well as interest in and preferences for eHealth technologies among older adults with varying degrees of cognitive impairment.MethodsA total of 221 participants (mean age=67.6 years) attending the Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic at the University of Sydney, a specialist mood and memory clinic for adults ≥50 years of age, underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessment and completed a 20-item self-report survey investigating current technology use and interest in eHealth technologies. Descriptive statistics and Fisher exact tests were used to characterize the findings, including variability in the results based on demographic and diagnostic factors, with diagnoses including subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), MCI, and dementia.ResultsThe sample comprised 27.6% (61/221) SCI, 62.0% (137/221) MCI, and 10.4% (23/221) dementia (mean Mini-Mental State Examination=28.2). The majority of participants reported using mobile phones (201/220, 91.4%) and computers (167/194, 86.1%) routinely, with most respondents having access to the Internet at home (204/220, 92.6%). Variability was evident in the use of computers, mobile phones, and health-related websites in relation to sociodemographic factors, with younger, employed respondents with higher levels of education being more likely to utilize these technologies. Whereas most respondents used email (196/217, 90.3%), the use of social media websites was relatively uncommon. The eHealth intervention of most interest to the broader sample was memory strategy training, with 82.7% (172/208) of participants reporting they would utilize this form of intervention. Preferences for other eHealth interventions varied in relation to educational level, with university-educated participants expressing greater interest in interventions related to mood (P=.01), socialization (P=.02), memory (P=.01), and computer-based exercises (P=.046). eHealth preferences also varied in association, with diagnosis for interventions targeting sleep (P=.01), nutrition (P=.004), vascular risk factors (P=.03), and memory (P=.02).ConclusionsTechnology use is pervasive among older adults with cognitive impairment, though variability was noted in relation to age, education, vocational status, and diagnosis. There is also significant interest in Web-based interventions targeting cognition and memory, as well as other risk factors for cognitive decline, highlighting the urgent need for the development, implementation, and study of eHealth technologies tailored specifically to older adults, including those with MCI and early dementia. Strategies to promote eHealth use among older adults who are retired or have lower levels of education will also need to be considered.

Dataset Information

Visual contrast sensitivity in Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and older adults with cognitive complaints.

Publications

Visual contrast sensitivity in Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and older adults with cognitive complaints.

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