Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as a set of cognitive deficits that do not yet meet criteria for dementia. However, patients who meet the diagnostic criteria for MCI may progress to dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, at a much greater rate than the general older population of Canadians above the age of 60 (26% vs. 3%, over a three-year period). To facilitate early identification and treatment of those who may be at greater risk of MCI and Alzheimer's, it is essential to understand the nature of cognitive deficits that may be implicated, particularly among those who may be more predisposed to developing dementia. For instance, traumatic brain injuries are commonly reported by older individuals and have been shown to contribute to the development of MCI and Alzheimer's disease. Prospective memory, which refers to memory for future planned actions, such as taking medication at a specific time, has been shown to be disrupted among survivors of traumatic brain injuries, but also among those with MCI and Alzheimer's. In fact, this relationship has been so frequently found that prospective memory impairments have been suggested to be an early clinical indicator of Alzheimer's disease. The proposed research therefore has several important aims: 1) to better understand the nature of prospective memory deficits among survivors of traumatic brain injuries; 2) to investigate whether prospective memory performance, following traumatic brain injuries, may better identify those with MCI and Alzheimer's disease; and 3) to determine whether prospective memory performance and previous traumatic brain injury may predict further cognitive decline, including MCI and Alzheimer's diagnoses over a three-year follow-up period. Using data collected from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, this study will allow for the better understanding of those who are at greater risk of developing dementia following traumatic brain injuries, to better inform early interventions.