正常與輕度認知功能障礙老人在工作記憶表現之差異性分析研究

The Working Memory Variations between Healthy and Mild Cognitive Impairment Elders: A Comparative Analysis Study

本研究目的為比較正常老人與輕度認知障礙老人工作記憶表現之差異性。研究方法採橫斷性研究設計。研究對象為社區及安養機構老人，共納入148名（正常老人及輕度認知功能障礙老人各74名），平均年齡為78.76±7.61歲。研究以結構式問卷進行評估，包含人口學變項、認知功能及記憶廣度測驗（Digit span, DS）。以蒙特利爾認知評估（Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA）進行分組，記憶廣度測驗區辨兩組在工作記憶表現之差異性比較。統計資料以獨立樣本t檢定、卡方檢定及一般線性模式（General Linear Model, GLM）進行分析。研究結果發現在校正年齡、婚姻狀況、教育程度後，輕度認知障礙老人在工作記憶表現（總分、順序及逆序背誦）明顯較正常老人差（p＜.01）。因此記憶廣度測驗可作為區辨正常老人與輕度認知功能障礙老人臨床評估之簡易評估工具，提供社區或臨床醫護人員分析正常與輕度認知功能障礙老人在記憶表現上之差異。

The purpose of this study was to compare the difference in the performance of working memory among the healthy elders and mild cognitive impairment. The research method adopted a cross-sectional study design and comparative analysis. The participants were elderly people in the community or residential care home. The study was conducted using structured questionnaires, including demographic variables, cognitive functions, and Digit Span (DS) task. The participants were grouped by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The Digit Span (DS) task identified differences in the performance of working memory between the two groups. Statistical data were analyzed with independent sample t-test, chi-square test, and General Linear Model (GLM). A total of 148 participants (74 healthy elders and 74 mild cognitive impairment) were included in this study. The average age was 78.76 ± 7.61years. After adjusting for age, marital status, and education level of study, the performance of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment in working memory (total score, forward, and backward) was significantly worse than that of normal elders (p< .01) in our study. Therefore, the Digit Span task could be used as a simple assessment tool to assess the clinical evaluation of elderly people with normal and mild cognitive impairment.