Decline of frontal lobe functions in subjects with age-associated memory impairment.

OBJECTIVE

To assess frontal lobe functions of subjects with age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) and to examine whether performance on neuropsychological tests is correlated with the volume of the frontal lobes in magnetic resonance imaging.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional two-group comparison.

SETTING

The Memory Research Clinic of Kuopio University and the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center of Kuopio University Hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Ninety subjects (mean age, 70.5 years), 43 with AAMI diagnosed according to National Institute of Mental Health criteria and 47 age-matched healthy controls.

MEASUREMENTS

Four neuropsychological tests were used to assess frontal lobe function: Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT), and Stroop Test (ST). A 1.5-T magnetic resonance imager was used for volume measurements.

RESULTS

The AAMI subjects scored significantly worse on the WCST, ST, and TMT compared with controls (ANCOVA, adjusted for age and education, p < 0.05). The frontal lobe volumes did not differ between AAMI subjects and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

AAMI subjects appear to be impaired not only in tests assessing memory but also in tests of executive functions. This finding agrees with previous reports suggesting a central role for frontal dysfunction in memory loss of elderly people.