Objective: Accurate error monitoring is important for successful completion of everyday tasks and compensatory strategy use. This study examined how error awareness is impacted in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) compared to cognitively healthy older adults (HOA). Cognitive correlates of error monitoring and relation to objective and self-reported measurement of everyday function were also evaluated.
Method: Twenty-four individuals with aMCI and 24 cognitively HOAs completed standardized cognitive measures (domains: attention, working memory, executive functioning, memory, language, visuospatial abilities); a computerized go-no-go paradigm task that evaluated error monitoring; a naturalistic, performance-based measure of everyday functioning (day-out-task; DOT); and self- and informant-report measures of everyday dysexecutive difficulties (DEX).
Results: Participants with aMCI demonstrated significantly poorer error monitoring as compared to the HOA group (Cohen's d = 1.02). Working memory and executive functioning were significantly related to error monitoring for both groups. After accounting for age and global cognitive status, hierarchical regressions revealed error monitoring significantly predicted DOT total time (but not accuracy) as well as both self- and informant-report DEX scores.
Conclusions: Compared to HOAs, individuals with aMCI exhibited poorer conscious error awareness. Better error monitoring was associated with higher working memory and executive functioning abilities and predicted better everyday functioning. If individuals with aMCI experience difficulties recognizing performance inaccuracies, they will be unable to correct their errors, leading to mistakes in everyday task completion and difficulty implementing appropriate compensatory strategies. Findings suggest that error monitoring may be a potential target for intervention with individuals with aMCI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).