Abstract
Background
Practice effects are improvements in cognitive test scores due to repeated exposure
to testing materials. If practice effects provide information about Alzheimer’s disease
pathology, then they could be useful for clinical trials enrichment. The current study
sought to add to the limited literature on short-term practice effects on cognitive
tests and their relationship to neuroimaging biomarkers.
Methods
Twenty-five, non-demented older adults (8 cognitively intact, 17 with mild cognitive
impairment) received magnetic resonance imaging and two testing sessions across one
week to determine practice effects on seven neuropsychological test scores. A series
of correlations examined if hippocampal volume was associated with baseline, one-week,
or practice effects scores on these tests. Next, a series of stepwise multiple regression
models examined which of the three test scores best predicted hippocampal volumes
Results
In the correlation analysis, baseline scores on 5 of the 7 tests were significantly
associated with hippocampal volumes, one week scores were significantly related for
7 of the 7 tests, and practice effects scores were significantly correlated for 4
of the 7 tests. In the stepwise regression models, 5 of the 7 tests indicated that
one-week scores best predicted hippocampal volumes. For the other models, baseline
score and practice effects score each best predicted hippocampal volume.
Conclusions
These results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that diminished practice
effects on short-term repeat testing is related to neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer’s
disease and may serve as a screening tool for clinical practice and to enrich samples
for research trials.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 22, 2018
Accepted:
August 13,
2018
Received:
April 9,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
