Mortality in mild cognitive impairment: A longitudinal study in memory clinics

Abstract

Background: Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at greater risk of mortality than the general population. Comparatively little research has examined predictors of mortality in MCI and no research has examined whether time-varying variables, such as change in cognition and function, predict survival. Objective: To identify predictors of mortality in patients with MCI. Methods: 185 patients with MCI were recruited from nine memory clinics around Australia. Patients completed measures of cognition, function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms over three years. Mortality data were obtained from state registries eight years after baseline. Results: 55 (30%) patients died within this period. Older age, lower cognitive and functional ability at baseline, and greater decline in functional ability over six months predicted mortality. Conclusion: Easily measurable clinical data predict mortality in patients with MCI. Longitudinal assessment over time can provide additional information about patients’ risk.