The neuropathology of empirically-derived mild cognitive impairment subtypes

 
   Lead Investigator:    Katherine Bangen
   Institution      :    University of California, San Diego
   E-Mail           :    kbangen@ucsd.edu
   Proposal ID      :    393



   Proposal Description:
   Little is known about the neuropathological substrates of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Further, there is no universal operational definition of MCI resulting in widely varying prevalence and progression rates. Given the importance of accurately predicting dementia prodromes, the proposed project aims to examine the neuropathological substrates of empirically-derived MCI subtypes.                                                                           The goals of this project are the following:                                      1) To analyze neuropsychological test performance data (from visit closest in time to autopsy) using statistical grouping techniques including cluster analysis and latent class analysis in order to empirically-derive neuropsychological-based MCI subtypes. Our past research using this methodology with individuals with MCI suggests the presence of amnestic, dysexecutive, and mixed neuropsychological phenotypes.                                                                                                                                2) To examine the neuropathological substrates of the distinct empirically-derived MCI subtype groups.                                                                                                                             The investigation will be limited to individuals who are nondemented based on clinical diagnosis from visit closest to autopsy.