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Declines in Connected Language Are Associated with Very Early Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention
Mueller KD, Koscik RL, Hermann BP, Johnson SC, Turkstra LS.. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2018-01-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Changes to everyday spoken language ("connected language") are evident in persons with AD dementia, yet little is known about when these changes are first detectable on the continuum of cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to determine if participants with very early, subclinical memory declines were also showing declines in connected language. We analyzed connected language samples obtained from a simple picture description task at two time points in 264 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP). In parallel, participants were classified as either "Cognitively Healthy" or "Early Mild Cognitive Impairment" based on longitudinal neuropsychological test performance. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyze language parameters that were extracted from the connected language samples using automated feature extraction. Participants with eMCI status declined faster in features of speech fluency and semantic content than those who were cognitively stable. Measures of lexical diversity and grammatical complexity were not associated with eMCI status in this group. These findings provide novel insights about the relationship between cognitive decline and everyday language, using a quick, inexpensive, and performance-based method.
Key findings
- Measures of lexical diversity and grammatical complexity were not associated with eMCI status in this group.
- These findings provide novel insights about the relationship between cognitive decline and everyday language, using a quick, inexpensive, and performance-based method.
Why it matters
In 264 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention, those with early mild cognitive impairment declined faster in speech fluency and semantic content than cognitively stable participants, while lexical diversity and grammatical complexity were not associated with early MCI status. The findings concern a quick, inexpensive language-based method and not treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants264
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in aging neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: journal h-index 174 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 264 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 130 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.8 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Lyn S. Turkstra: h-index 46 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Wisconsin–Madison: institution h-index 1,518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29375365) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00437
- PubMed: 29375365
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience →
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
Mueller, K. D., Koscik, R. L., Hermann, B. P., Johnson, S. C., & Turkstra, L. S. (2017). Declines in Connected Language Are Associated with Very Early Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00437
Vancouver
Mueller KD, Koscik RL, Hermann BP, Johnson SC, Turkstra LS. Declines in Connected Language Are Associated with Very Early Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 2017. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2017.00437. PMID: 29375365.
BibTeX
@article{mueller2017-29375365,
author = {Mueller, K. D. and Koscik, R. L. and Hermann, B. P. and Johnson, S. C. and Turkstra, L. S.},
title = {{Declines in Connected Language Are Associated with Very Early Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention}},
journal = {Frontiers in aging neuroscience},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2017.00437},
pmid = {29375365},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00437}
}
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