Subjective cognitive impairment: Functional MRI during a divided attention task

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 457 - 462
• Main Authors: Rodda, J., Dannhauser, T., Cutinha, D.J., Shergill, S.S., Walker, Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier SAS 01.10.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging and cognition; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Attention; Attention - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping - methods; Early Diagnosis; Female; fMRI; Geriatrics; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Internal Medicine; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Mild cognitive impairment; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reaction Time - physiology; Severity of Illness Index; Sickness Impact Profile; Subjective cognitive impairment; Subjective memory complaints; Task Performance and Analysis; fMRI; Subjective memory complaints; Mild cognitive impairment; Aging and cognition; Attention; Subjective cognitive impairment; Memory disorder; Senescence; Cognitive disorder; Self evaluation; Central nervous system; Cognition; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon; Divided attention; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Medical imagery; mild cognitive impairment; Memory complaint; Functional imaging
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.07.003

Individuals with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) have persistent memory complaints but normal neurocognitive performance. For some, this may represent a pre-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Given that attentional deficits and associated brain activation changes are present early in the course of AD, we aimed to determine whether SCI is associated with brain activation changes during attentional processing. Eleven SCI subjects and 10 controls completed a divided attention task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. SCI and control groups did not differ in sociodemographic, neurocognitive or behavioural measures. When group activation during the divided attention task was compared, the SCI group demonstrated increased activation in left medial temporal lobe, bilateral thalamus, posterior cingulate and caudate. This pattern of increased activation is similar to the pattern of decreased activation reported during divided attention in AD and may indicate compensatory changes. These findings suggest the presence of early functional changes in SCI; longitudinal studies will help to further elucidate the relationship between SCI and AD.