A - 6 Effects of Inhibitory Control and Episodic Memory Deficits on Functioning in Probable Mild Cognitive Impairment and Individually Matched Healthy Controls

Abstract Objective Episodic memory and inhibitory control deficits are prevalent among those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These deficits have been associated with worse functioning; however, the predictive utility of specific cognitive deficits vary. We investigated whether deficits of episodic memory and inhibitory control are associated with worse physical activity and life satisfaction among people with probable MCI (pMCI). Method The study included 79 pMCI and 79 individually matched controls (HC) who participated in the Human Connectome Project - Aging study. Groups were determined based on MoCA scores (pMCI ≤23; HC ≥ 26). Participants completed the Go/No-go (GNG) and Face Name (FNT) tasks during functional MRI. Associations between GNG False Alarms (GNG FA) and FNT Recognition Accuracy (GNG RA) scores and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the PROMIS General Life Satisfaction (GLS) self-reports were examined. Results The pMCI group exhibited deficits compared to the HC on GNG FA (t (152.17) = −1.26, p = 0.05) and FNT RA (t (85.78) = 13.72, p 0.05). However, hierarchical regressions revealed that the interaction of these cognitive tasks predicted IPAQ (∆R2 = 0.02, F(1, 78) = 3.74, p < 0.05). Conclusions Despite confirmation of cognitive deficits, their effects on function are complex. Therefore, MCI deficits may be detected on screening before they clearly impact functioning, underscoring the utility of screening to facilitate more effective earlier interventions.