Objective: Frequency of cognitive decline, degree of its pronouncement, cognitive disturbances pattern, dependence on age and education in old people were studied.
Design: 1000 old subjects (patients of Institute of Gerontology Clinic) were examined. Study population, consisting of cognitively normal individuals and patients with AAMI, MCI and dementia, were ascribed to 5 age groups: 60-65, 66-70, 71-75, 76-80 years and 80 plus.
Materials and Methods: MMSE, CAMCOG, intellectual working ability during fulfillment of an experimental-psychological task (using the Shulte tables), memory on 10 words and 8 digits, Wechsler digit symbol subtest, CAMCOG, neurological status, global clinical investigation, (MRI or CT in dementia). Statistical analysis included: mean data, Student's t-test, coefficient of paired correlation.
Results: The pattern of percentage distribution of people aged 60+ as regards their cognitive capacities looked as follows: an increasing proportion of persons with a mild cognitive impairment and dementia was seen against a significantly decreasing proportion of persons with a normal cognition, and an essentially unaltered proportion of persons with an age-associated memory impairment. The forming dementia syndrome/age-associated memory impairment ratio increased with aging. Percentage of subjects with an increased MMSE score, evidencing for absolute maintenance of cognitive functions, decreased with age. Thus, if in age groups 60-65 and 66-70 years the subjects with 29-30 scores of ̀̀SE made 46% and 41%, respectively, the percentage of subjects having same scores was reduced to 18-15% in groups 71-75 and 76-80 years, and 80 plus. It is noteworthy that in all study groups the percentage of subjects with age-associated memory impairment was almost unchanged. At the same time, a significant increase of people with mild cognitive impairment was noted with aging, particularly between 71 and 80 years. Percentage of persons with dementia increased significantly after 70. With a more educational level, we registered a positive correlation with total MMSE score, number of memorized words on first 10 words audio presentation, maximal reproduction of 10 words on 10-fold audio presentation, number of memorized digits after first 8-digits visual presentation, and with Wechsler digit symbol subtest, etc. Nevertheless, the greater educational level correlated negatively with the time of special experimental-psychological task fulfillment Complex experimental-psychological investigation revealed the cognitive decline peculiarities at different study stages and dementia types. When analyzing paired correlation coefficients with regard cognition indices between Alzheimer patients and older dementia-free patients, we found the more distinct correlations in the group of Alzheimer patients that probably reflects a steady pathology formation in cognitive sphere structures.
Conclusion: The distinct relationships and correlations were found between age and cognitive indices, with a tendency towards worsening of the latter as age increased, as well as between education and cognitive indices, with a noticeable maintenance of the latter in more educated individuals.
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