Neurodegenerative Disease and Cognitive Retest Learning

Retest learning impacts estimates of cognitive aging, but its bases are uncertain. Here we test the hypothesis that dementia related neurodegeneration impairs retest learning. Older persons without cognitive impairment at enrollment (n=567) had annual cognitive testing for a mean of 11 years, died, and had a neuropathologic examination to quantify 5 neurodegenerative pathologies. Change point models were used to divide cognitive trajectories into an early retest sensitive component and a later component less sensitive to retest.
Source: Neurobiology of Aging - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research