Date Approved

10-16-2018

Embargo Period

10-22-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Libon, David J.

Committee Member 1

Frierson, Georita

Committee Member 2

Angelone, Bonnie

Keywords

Clinical psychology, Cognitive Decline, Episodic Memory, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Subject(s)

Mild cognitive impairment

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Cognitive Psychology

Abstract

Objective: To compare verbal versus visual serial list learning test performance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and assess relationships between serial list learning and hippocampal volume. Methods: Patients were diagnosed with non-MCI, amnestic MCI (aMCI), and combined mixed/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dysMCI). Outcome measures included immediate/delay free recall, and delay recognition performance from the 12-word Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test (PrVLT) and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R). Lateral hippocampal volumes were obtained. Results: Non-MCI patients scored better than other groups on P(r)VLT immediate/delay free recall. aMCI patients scored lower than other groups on P(r)VLT delay recognition. Non-MCI patients were superior to MCI groups on all BVMT-R parameters. All groups scored lower on BVMT-R compared to analogous P(r)VLT parameters. Better P(r)VLT immediate/delay free recall was associated with greater left hippocampal volume. BVMT-R 2-point, full credit responses were associated with greater right hippocampal volume; memory for object location was associated with left hippocampal volume. Conclusions: Both serial list learning tests identify memory impairment. The association for the BVMT-R and bilateral hippocampal volume suggests a wider neurocognitive network may be recruited for visual serial list learning. These data suggest that visual serial list learning may be particularly sensitive to emergent cognitive impairment.

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