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Aging, memory, and mild cognitive impairment
Petersen RC, Smith GE, Waring SC, Ivnik RJ, Kokmen E, Tangelos EG.. International psychogeriatrics, 1997-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In recent years, patients who are at high risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) have become a focus of study. Several research groups have identified these patients, developed diagnostic criteria, and followed the patients longitudinally. These patients therefore constitute a clinical entity that is suitable for therapeutic interventions. In this article, we report our 5-year experience at the Mayo Clinic in characterizing a group of patients with mild cognitive impairment. These subjects were recruited from community-dwelling individuals who were receiving general medical care in the Department of Internal Medicine. They received the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment if they met the following criteria: (a) complaint of defective memory, (b) normal activities of daily living, (c) normal general cognitive function, (d) abnormal memory function for age, and (e) absence of dementia. In following more than 75 of these patients, some of whom have been studied for as long as 5 years, it appears that approximately 10% to 15% of the subjects evolve to AD each year. We therefore evaluated the cognitive profiles of these patients at the time of their initial diagnosis in an attempt to predict who would remain stable and who would evolve to AD. Certain features of learning and memory performance indicated patients who were more likely to progress, but the strongest predictor was their apolipoprotein E status. The patients who possessed an epsilon 4 allele were more likely to convert to AD at a more rapid rate then those who were not carriers. Our results and similar data from other study groups indicate that diagnostic criteria can be defined for patients who are likely to convert to AD; the natural history of these patients is becoming apparent, and variables that predict ultimate conversion can be defined. Consequently, patients with mild cognitive impairment constitute an important group for study, particularly form the aspect of therapeutic interventions.
Key findings
- Our results and similar data from other study groups indicate that diagnostic criteria can be defined for patients who are likely to convert to AD; the natural history of these patients is becoming apparent, and variables that predict ultimate conversion can be defined.
Why it matters
Over up to 5 years at the Mayo Clinic, the authors followed more than 75 patients from general medical care who complained of poor memory and scored abnormally low on memory tests for their age, but whose other thinking skills and daily activities were normal and who did not have dementia. Roughly 10% to 15% of them a year appeared to develop Alzheimer's disease, and carrying the APOE ε4 gene variant was the strongest predictor of who progressed, ahead of their scores on learning and memory tests. It is a single-clinic group with no stated limitations or effect sizes, so the figures show risk across the group and do not predict what will happen to any one person.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International psychogeriatrics) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | International Psychogeriatrics: journal h-index 161 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 890 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 28.7 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 38 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 87 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Eric G. Tangelos holds only 1 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9447429) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 45 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100. |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1017/s1041610297004717
- PubMed: 9447429
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Psychogeriatrics →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Petersen, R. C., Smith, G. E., Waring, S. C., Ivnik, R. J., Kokmen, E., & Tangelos, E. G. (1997). Aging, memory, and mild cognitive impairment. International psychogeriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610297004717
Vancouver
Petersen RC, Smith GE, Waring SC, Ivnik RJ, Kokmen E, Tangelos EG. Aging, memory, and mild cognitive impairment. International psychogeriatrics. 1997. doi:10.1017/s1041610297004717. PMID: 9447429.
BibTeX
@article{petersen1997-9447429,
author = {Petersen, R. C. and Smith, G. E. and Waring, S. C. and Ivnik, R. J. and Kokmen, E. and Tangelos, E. G.},
title = {{Aging, memory, and mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {International psychogeriatrics},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1017/s1041610297004717},
pmid = {9447429},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610297004717}
}
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