LASSI-L predicts everyday functional decline in aMCI

This prospective study followed 97 adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment across three to four annual visits, with an average follow-up of 38.9 months. The investigators modeled change in the Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes and tested whether baseline vulnerability to proactive semantic interference and failure to recover from that interference predicted the trajectory of everyday cognitive and functional decline.

Failure to recover from proactive semantic interference remained a significant predictor of steeper decline even after adjustment for age, sex, education, Hispanic background, traditional verbal-learning scores, and amyloid positivity. The finding gives the LASSI-L strong practical relevance: a brief baseline measure of recovery from interference anticipated how quickly daily functioning would worsen, beyond what conventional memory tests and amyloid status explained. This supports the LASSI-L as a longitudinal prognostic tool for identifying patients with aMCI who may need closer monitoring or earlier intervention.