Impaired abstract thinking may discriminate between normal aging and vascular mild cognitive impairment

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is associated with cognitive deficits. This cross-sectional study examines differences among healthy elderly controls and patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) and vascular dementia (VaD) in performances on CAMCOG subscales. METHOD: Elderly individuals (n=61) were divided into 3 groups, according to cognitive and neuroimaging status: 16 controls, 20 VaMCI and 25 VaD. VaMCI and VaD individuals scored over 4 points on the Hachinski Ischemic Scale. RESULTS: Significant differences in total CAMCOG scores were observed across the three groups (p<0.001). VaD subjects performed worse than those with VaMCI in most CAMCOG subscales (p<0.001). All subscales showed differences between controls and VaD (p<0.001). Performance on abstract thinking showed difference between VaMCI and controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CAMCOG discriminated controls from VaMCI and VaD. Assessment of abstract thinking may be useful as a screening item for diagnosis of VaMCI.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Sudo,Felipe Kenji, Alves,Gilberto Sousa, Alves,Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira, Lanna,Maria Elisa, Ericeira-Valente,Letice, Moreira,Denise Madeira, Engelhardt,Eliasz, Laks,Jerson
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO 2010
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2010000200005
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