
Lost in Space: Advances in Spatial Memory as a Prognostic Tool
Evaluation of allocentric spatial processing may be a much better way to determine Alzheimer disease risk than egocentric spatial processing tools.
RESEARCH UPDATE
Evaluation of
The study authors noted that emerging data are pointing to the relevance of spatial processing tests in assessing dementia risk, with the suspicion that they may be more sensitive than commonly used cognitive tests. The team tested the hypothesis that impairments in spatial processing may be a sign of preclinical AD.
The study population consisted of 188 adults, 94 of whom had at least one parent with a
Allocentric spatial processing is considered to be primarily associated with the hippocampus and its function of encoding information about the location of objects in relation to other objects. Egocentric processing is primarily associated with the medial parietal lobes and their function in encoding the location of objects in relation to one’s body. The research team had predicted that increased dementia risk would be associated more with allocentric than egocentric spatial processing because
Allocentric processing was evaluated via the
The researchers found a significant negative correlation between 4MT (allocentric spatial processing) and CAIDE dementia risk score (Spearman correlation –0.26; P = .0006) but no association with family history of dementia or ApoE 4 allele status. In contrast, no association was observed between performance on the VRSTT (egocentric spatial processing) and dementia risk score, ApoE4 status, family history, brain, or hippocampal volume.
The study authors concluded that their findings could have a significant impact on the landscape of clinical and translational AD research if confirmed by larger trials. Namely, they would support the case for including allocentric spatial memory tests in cognitive batteries aimed at identification of preclinical AD to aid stratification of at-risk persons in interventional studies and also to use as outcome measures in evaluating interventions for early-stage of AD.
References:
1. Ritchie K, Carrière I, Howett D, et al.
2. Serino S, Cipresso P, Morganti F, Riva G.
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