Decline of Frontal Lobe Functions in Subjects with Age-associated Memory Impairment

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Abstract
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. NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 148-153