Cognitive Dispersion in MCI and Dementia Predicting Pathology

 
   Lead Investigator:    Benjamin Hill
   Institution      :    University of South Alabama
   E-Mail           :    bdhill@southalabama.edu
   Proposal ID      :    253


   Publications:


1  Hill BD, Sofko C, Thaler N, Gavett BE
   Cognitive Intra-Individual Variability Increases with Neuropathological Burden and Clinical Dementia Rating Score
   2018   Journal Article  Neuropsychologia , 

   REVISION



2  Hill BD, Sofko C, Thaler NS, Gavett BE, Burton J
   Cognitive Intra-Individual Variability Increases as Mini Mental State Examination Score Declines: Further Support for Intra-Individual Variability as a Marker of Neuropathology
   2018   Journal Article  J Int Neuropsychol Soc , 

   REVISION





   Proposal Description:
   We propose to use NACC neuropsychological data to examine cognitive dispersion in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Our group has previously examined cognitive dispersion in traumatic brain injury (TBI). We found that TBI severity as measured by loss of consciousness had a strong linear relationship with increasing cognitive intra-individual variability and increased variability was associated with decreased overall cognitive performance. This runs counter to an emerging view in the neuropsychological literature that variability in cognitive performance is normal. We plan to demonstrate this effect of increasing neuropathology being associated with increasing intra-individual variability in dementia. We would like to use the NACC neuropsychological data to calculate an overall test battery mean (OTBM) for each individual and use the standard deviation around this mean as an index of intra-individual variability. We then propose to examine how intra-individual variability in dementia is related to overall cognitive performance and level of dementia severity. Further, we want to examine the stability of intra-individual variability across time and whether intra-individual variability at the initial visit predicts decline at follow-up visits. Additionally, we will examine whether APOE genotype predicts increased intra-individual variability.