The Clinical Utility of a Computerized Cognitive Assessment to Predict Incident Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

Docteur, Natalia Gabriela

The Clinical Utility of a Computerized Cognitive Assessment to Predict Incident Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

dc.contributor.advisor	Callahan, Brandy
dc.contributor.author	Docteur, Natalia Gabriela
dc.contributor.committeemember	Ismail, Zahinoor
dc.contributor.committeemember	Iaria, Giuseppe
dc.date	2023-11
dc.date.accessioned	2023-09-15T16:45:13Z
dc.date.available	2023-09-15T16:45:13Z
dc.date.issued	2023-08-09
dc.description.abstract	Detecting the initial signs of neurodegeneration is integral for early diagnosis and intervention. Computerized cognitive assessments are accessible, efficient, and precise tools for identifying cognitive impairment and risk of neurodegeneration. While computerized instruments can be feasibly administered repeatedly for longitudinal cognitive monitoring, their clinical utility compared to conventional paper-and-pencil tools is yet unknown. The present study examined the utility of a computerized task, the One Card Learning (OCL) test, to detect conversion to dementia and associate with amyloid (Aβ) imaging markers using single and repeated test administration compared to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). The primary and secondary outcomes were conversion from cognitively normal (CN) to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over a four-year study period and positron emission tomography estimates of Aβ, respectively. Data were collected from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3 longitudinal cohort study. Participants were older adults aged 56 to 98 years who were CN at baseline. Results showed that the OCL did not better predict conversion to aMCI or AD from cognitive health compared to the MoCA or RAVLT when assessed at baseline or over repeated administrations. Unadjusted baseline OCL performance associated with Aβ status comparably to the MoCA and RAVLT. While repeated MoCA scores provided the strongest estimate of Aβ accumulation, OCL score trajectories uniquely detected diminished practice effects associated with pathological Aβ accumulation. The OCL may offer distinct clinical utility to detect preclinical AD biomarker accumulation. Future research is needed to examine the application of computerized assessments before they are fully integrated into clinical practice.
dc.identifier.citation	Docteur, N. G. (2023). The clinical utility of a computerized cognitive assessment to predict incident amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117025
dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/41868
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Arts
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Computerized cognitive assessment
dc.subject	Computerized neuropsychological assessment device
dc.subject	Dementia
dc.subject	Mild cognitive impairment
dc.subject	amyloid beta
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Clinical
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Cognitive
dc.subject.classification	Psychometrics
dc.subject.classification	Mental Health
dc.title	The Clinical Utility of a Computerized Cognitive Assessment to Predict Incident Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Psychology – Clinical
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.