Introduction: Suitable assessment tools for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could facilitate the early detection of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The aim of the present study was to assess the utility of the main memory and reaction time tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) for detecting MCI.
Material and methods: Episodic and working memory and reaction and movement times were tested in 16 MCI patients, classified according to Petersen's criteria, and in 15 healthy individuals.
Results: ANOVA showed that the performance of the MCI group was significantly poorer than that of the control group in movement time and episodic memory tests, pattern recognition, delayed matching to sample and paired associates learning. Performance in these tests correlated with the measures of general cognitive performance. However, the performance of both groups was similar in simple reaction times and in the spacial working memory tests.
Conclusions: The CANTAB episodic memory tests and the movement time measures are effective instruments to detect MCI.