Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are non-cognitive, behavioral, or psychiatric symptoms, common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and associated with a higher risk of dementia. Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) is a validated diagnostic entity, that describes the emergence of later life NPS in pre-dementia states. The Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C) is the first measure developed to assess MBI. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of MBI in people with MCI and to study the score distribution, sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic utility of the MBI-C, and its correlations with neuropsychological tests. Methods: One hundred eleven MCI participants were evaluated with the Questionnaire for Subjective Memory Complaints (QSMC), Mini-Mental State Examination, Cambridge Cognitive Assessment-Revised, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 items (GDS-15), Lawton and Brody Index, and the MBI-C, which was administered by phone to participants’ informants. Descriptive, logistic regression, ROC curve, and bivariate correlations analyses were performed. Results: MBI diagnosis prevalence was 14.2%. The total MBI-C score differentiated people with MBI at a cutoff-point of 6.5, optimizing sensitivity and specificity. MBI-C total score correlated positively with NPI-Q, QSMC, GDS-15, and Lawton and Brody Index. Conclusion: The total MBI-C score, obtained by phone administration, is sensitive for detecting MBI in people with MCI. The MBI-C scores indicated that MCI participants had subtle NPS that were correlated to their subjective memory complaints reported by informants, depressive symptoms, and negatively with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Further research should be done to clarify the predictive role of NPS in MCI for incident dementia.

Objectives:To estimate the prevalence of Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) in people with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), and validate the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C) with respect to score distribution, sensitivity, specificity, and utility for MBI diagnosis, as well as correlation with other neuropsychological tests.Design:Correlational study with a convenience sampling. Descriptive, logistic regression, ROC curve, and bivariate correlations analyses were performed.Setting:Primary care health centers.Participants:127 patients with SCD.Measurements:An extensive evaluation, including Questionnaire for Subjective Memory Complaints, Mini-Mental State Examination, Cambridge Cognitive Assessment-Revised, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q), the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 items (GDS-15), the Lawton and Brody Index and the MBI-C, which was administered by phone to participants’ informants.Results:MBI prevalence was 5.8% in those with SCD. The total MBI-C scoring was low and differentiated people with MBI at a cut-off point of 8.5 (optimizing sensitivity and specificity). MBI-C total scoring correlated positively with NPI-Q, Questionnaire for Subjective Cognitive Complaints (QSCC) from the informant and GDS-15.Conclusions:The phone administration of the MBI-C is useful for detecting MBI in people with SCD. The prevalence of MBI in SCD was low. The MBI-C detected subtle Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) that were correlated with scores on the NPI-Q, depressive symptomatology (GDS-15), and memory performance perceived by their relatives (QSCC). Next steps are to determine the predictive utility of MBI in SCD, and its relation to incident cognitive decline over time.

This review article provides an update of the empirical research on cognitive fragility conducted in the last four years. The studies retrieved were classified in four different categories. The first category includes articles relating cognitive frailty to cognitive reserve and which continue to highlight the importance of educational level. The second category includes recent research on cognitive fragility biomarkers, involving neuroimaging, metabolism and, in a novel way, microbiota. The third category includes research on how cognitive frailty is related to motor development and physical functioning, exploring e.g. the use of technology to study motor markers of cognitive frailty. Finally, in the fourth category, research clarifying the difference between reversible frailty and potentially reversible cognitive frailty has led to new interventions aimed at reducing cognitive frailty and preventing negative health outcomes. Interventions based on physical activity and multicomponent interventions are particularly emphasized. In addition, recent research explores the long-term effects of dual interventions in older adults living in nursing homes. In summary, research on cognitive frailty has increased in recent years, and applied aspects have gained importance.

To examine the prevalence and correlates of cognitive impairment (CI) in adults over 50 years old attending primary care centres with complaints of memory failure. A sample of 580 individuals aged 50+ years with no previous diagnosis of dementia was assessed by use of the Mini Mental State Examination, the Cambridge Cognitive Assessment-Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test - to evaluate CI-dependent variables - and administration of a questionnaire on memory complaints and other instruments - to measure correlates. The prevalence of CI was 46.20% and positive associations were found for age, gender, level of education, subjective memory complaints, instrumental activities of daily living, reading habits and frequency of leisure activities. In the logistic regression, modelled CI was associated with older age, gender (49.12% women, 39.66% men), instrumental activities of daily living, and reading habits. Almost half of the adults aged 50+ years attending primary care centres with subjective memory complaints were affected by CI. Early evaluation of cognitive functioning is essential to establish adequate preventive and intervention strategies.