Publications by authors named "Maria A Mollica"
Article Synopsis
- Current neuropsychological assessments miss subtle motor deficits in cognitively normal individuals who have amyloid-β positivity, indicating a need for improved measurements.
- The study involved 72 right-handed participants categorized by their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker profiles, including controls and those with amyloid-β positivity, using a modified Finger Tapping Task to evaluate tapping speed and variability.
- Results showed significant differences in tapping speed and variability between groups, with those positive for amyloid-β displaying slower speeds and more variability, suggesting that these motor difficulties might be early indicators of dementia risk related to Alzheimer's disease.
Background: Self-reported and informant-reported subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be useful in the detection of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (Pre-AD) and cognitive impairment related to abnormal amyloid-β (Aβ 42) levels.
Objectives: a) To compare the Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q) ratings between Pre-AD subjects and cognitively healthy controls, b) to study the association of SCD-Q scores with levels of AD biomarkers in cognitively healthy and cognitively impaired subjects, and c) to compare SCD-Q ratings in cognitively impaired subjects with or without abnormal Aβ 42.
Methods: Two hundred and seventeen participants (111 subjects; 106 informants) answered the SCD-Q.
Article Synopsis
- Individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (Pre-AD) may show subtle cognitive difficulties, even when standard tests indicate normal performance; this study aimed to detect these issues using a new visuomotor coordination task (VMC).
- The VMC task revealed that Pre-AD participants had slower response times compared to cognitively normal controls, indicating early visuomotor difficulties, which were also related to Alzheimer's biomarkers and subjective cognitive decline.
- The findings suggest that the VMC task could serve as an effective tool for distinguishing Pre-AD individuals from healthy controls and may highlight visuomotor dysfunction as an early indicator of Alzheimer's development.
Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is gaining importance as a focus of investigation, but adequate tools are needed for its quantification.
Objective: To develop and validate a questionnaire to quantify SCD, termed the Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q).
Methods: 124 controls (CTR), 144 individuals with SCD, 83 mild cognitive impairment subjects, 46 Alzheimer's disease patients, and 397 informants were included.