Page 62 - Memora anual Fundación CIEN 2017

The Department of Neuropsychology has that develops throughout the life cycle fundamen-
carried out different studies to analyze the
role of cognitive complaints as a predictor of
cognitive impairment in a sample of elderly
people from the general population.
Specifically, the focus is placed on studying
which specific aspects and what type of
cognitive complaints show a greater
relationship with the development of
cognitive impairment.
1.2. Usefulness of various cognitive parameters
as early markers:
Numerous studies have shown that there are
certain cognitive variables that allow the
identification of subjects at higher risk of
developing Alzheimer's disease years before
their diagnosis. With this idea in mind, we
investigate whether certain parameters of the
neuropsychological protocol, in the context
of a longitudinal research project such as the
Vallecas Project, are useful to identify
individuals at risk of cognitive impairment.
These parameters are analyzed in an
evolutionary way together with the rest of
clinical and genetic information of each
volunteer in order to obtain a classification
algorithm that could eventually be
generalized to daily clinical practice.
In addition, the Department of
Neuropsychology is interested in developing
new assessment tools that allow examining
the role of other cognitive markers not studied nically and cognitively a cohort of people with
in standard neuropsychological evaluations. It
is expected that the identification of these
markers increase sensitivity and specificity
when detecting individuals at risk of
dementia.
2. The role of cognitive and functional reserve in the biographical variables with the disease will be stu-
prevention of cognitive impairment: The cognitive
reserve is a theoretical construct that formulated se-
veral decades ago to explain the lack of corres-
pondence between the degree of brain damage
and clinical symptoms sometimes observed among
patients. It is presumed as an individual capacity
CIEN Foundation Annual Report 2017 / 62
tally through formal education, the type of profes-
sional activity performed and the intellectual activity
developed. Numerous studies have supported the
protective role played by the cognitive reserve in
modifying the course of different neurodegenerative
pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease. The inte-
rest of the Department of Neuropsychology for this
construct focuses on analyzing different variables
that apparently have the capacity to confer cogni-
tive reserve and therefore could play a protective
role against cognitive impairment. Within the Valle-
cas Project, this set of variables is being studied indi-
vidually and in groups, with special emphasis on the
activities of daily life performed in the middle stages
of life. Likewise, different lifestyle variables are exa-
mined in order to classify them as risk or protection
factors against dementia onset.
3. Clinical and physiopathological mechanisms
common to Down syndrome and Alzheimer's dise-
ase: A new research program is envisaged in colla-
boration with the Down Unit of La Princesa University
Hospital, the Biomedical Technology Center (CTB),
the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), and
the Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Institute.
Within this research project, the department of neu-
ropsychology will be specifically responsible for de-
signing a specific protocol for the longitudinal
cognitive assessment of a cohort of people with
Down syndrome. The purpose of this research pro-
gram is twofold. On the one hand, characterize cli-
Down syndrome, adapting and designing new tools
and protocols for the assessment and diagnosis of
cognitive impairment in these individuals. On the
other hand, the prevalence rate of Alheimer's dise-
ase in Down syndrome will be examined and the as-
sociation between certain biological and
died to determine the dynamics of the disease. Ulti-
mately, the impact of this study is expected to