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Other ongoing research projects. Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI)
appears in preclinical stages of Alzhei-
The Clinical Department, with its own mer's disease, even a person can often
resources or, occasionally, in collabo- experience this type of SCI despite
ration with other CAFRS or external showing a cognitive performance in a
groups, is carrying out several other formal neuropsychological assessment
research projects. Most of them are within normal parameters. For this rea-
mainly based on information o from son, there has been renewed scientific
the Vallecas Project or the Queen interest in recent years for the study
Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center of subjective cognitive complaints as
Research Program databases. In other a possible marker of future objective
instances, information provided by cognitive impairment.
various collaborators is used.
The neuropsychologists from the
Clinicopathological study of patients Clinical Department have carried out
with early Alzheimer's disease. Alzhei- different studies to analyze the role of
mer's disease is a degenerative pro- cognitive complaints as a predictor of
cess with a very long evolution, with an cognitive impairment in a sample of
asymptomatic preclinical phase, which elderly people from the general popu-
can last more than a decade, and with lation. Specifically, the focus is placed
clinical manifestations that can begin on studying which specific aspects
from the fifth or sixth decade of life, and what type of cognitive complaints
although they generally appear after show a greater relationship with the
the 70 years. It is known that the fami- development of cognitive impairment.
lial forms of Alzheimer's disease usually In general, the following conclusions
begin their clinical manifestations at can be drawn from all the research
a fairly early age, and it is also known work carried out:
that the disease is less aggressive
the later its onset. The clinical study • The SCI rate in the Vallecas
of cases of sporadic Alzheimer's di- Project cohort (~ 70%) is slightly
sease with early onset can be used to higher than that obtained in
identify the factors that determine its other research studies. This can
greater or lesser aggressiveness, and be explained by the fact that our
the pathological study to explore its cohort has a higher mean age.
pathophysiology.
• Our results are consistent with the
Usefulness of subjective cognitive accumulated evidence: SCI is more
complaints as an early marker. This is strongly associated with subjective
perhaps one of the most consolidated variables (i.e., depression, anxiety,
lines of research in the department. quality of life, etc.) than with
Annual report Fundación CIEN 2020 54
