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Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease
Gainotti G, Quaranta D, Vita MG, Marra C.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2014-01-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The construct of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been proposed to identify patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the pre-clinical stage. Although subjects with MCI have an increased risk of progressing to dementia, most remain stable or return to normality. The new criteria for diagnosing prodromal AD assume that, to increase the predictive value of the MCI, in addition to a defect of delayed recall there must also be the presence of abnormal biomarkers, investigating structural and molecular neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis of amyloid-β or tau proteins. Although acknowledging that the use of CSF degeneration biomarkers is advisable not only for research, but also for clinical purposes, the present review is centered upon the neuropsychological markers of conversion to AD, which are equally clinically important. In particular, results of this review suggest the following: (a) measures of delayed recall are the best neuropsychological predictors of conversion from MCI to AD; (b) memory tests providing controlled encoding and cued recall are not necessarily better predictors than free recall tests; (c) stringent cut-off points are necessary to increase the specificity of these predictors; (d) multi-domain amnestic MCI patients are the best candidates for clinical trials, but not for treatment with disease-modifying drugs; and (e) not only episodic but also semantic memory is significantly impaired in patients who will convert to AD. These data and the underlying neural mechanisms will be discussed, trying to distinguish results obtained in MCI patients from those obtained in a pre-MCI stage of the AD progression.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Gainotti, G., Quaranta, D., Vita, M. G., & Marra, C. (2014). Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-130881
Vancouver
Gainotti G, Quaranta D, Vita MG, Marra C. Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2014. doi:10.3233/jad-130881. PMID: 24002185.
BibTeX
@article{gainotti2014-24002185,
author = {Gainotti, G. and Quaranta, D. and Vita, M. G. and Marra, C.},
title = {{Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.3233/jad-130881},
pmid = {24002185},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-130881}
}
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Key findings
- Although subjects with MCI have an increased risk of progressing to dementia, most remain stable or return to normality.
- In particular, results of this review suggest the following: (a) measures of delayed recall are the best neuropsychological predictors of conversion from MCI to AD; (b) memory tests providing controlled encoding and cued recall are not necessarily better predictors than free recall tests; (c) stringent cut-off points are necessary to increase the specificity of these predictors; (d) multi-domain amnestic MCI patients are the best candidates for clinical trials, but not for treatment with disease-modifying drugs; and (e) not only episodic but also semantic memory is significantly impaired in patients who will convert to AD.
- These data and the underlying neural mechanisms will be discussed, trying to distinguish results obtained in MCI patients from those obtained in a pre-MCI stage of the AD progression.
Why it matters
This review of neuropsychological markers found that measures of delayed recall are the best predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease, and that most people with mild cognitive impairment remain stable or return to normal. It notes that multi-domain amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients are the best candidates for clinical trials but not for treatment with disease-modifying drugs.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (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 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 207 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.8 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 37 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Camillo Marra: h-index 59 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic: institution h-index 475 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24002185) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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