Conference Theme: Mental Health for AllFree Paper 3.1 – Neuroscience and Mental HealthBackground: This study aimed to investigate the changes in
cognitive profiles and the effect of age and education on such
changes in an older community cohort over a 5-year period.
Methods: A random sample of 787 non-demented Chinese
elders in Hong Kong was assessed with a comprehensive
neuropsychological battery at baseline, in the 2nd and 5th
year.
Results: A total of 454 subjects were assessed at the 5th year.
For subjects with normal cognitive function at baseline, 186
(56.9%) remained cognitively normal, 115 (35.2%) had mild
cognitive impairment (MCI), and 26 (7.9%) became demented.
For subjects with MCI at baseline, 28 (22%) reverted to
normal, 59 (46.5%) remained as MCI, 40 (31.5%) became
demented. The decline in scores of Cantonese Mini-Mental
State Examination was significant over the years, with the
rate of decline being greater after the 2nd year. Using logistic
regression, age and education had significant predictive effects
on the progression to dementia, but the protective effect of
education was lost if the subjects were already suffering from
MCI at the baseline. Age was a significant factor affecting the
cognitive function over time, while the effect of education was
lost in the baseline MCI subjects.
Conclusions: A decline in cognitive profile took place before
the clinical diagnosis of dementia. The protective effect of
education on cognitive function appeared to have lost when
the person started to have MCI
