Breaking New Ground in Computational Psychiatry: Model-Based Characterization of Forgetting in Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Computational models of memory used in adaptive learning settings trace a learner’s memory capacities. However, less work has been done on the implementation of these models in the clinical realm. Current assessment tools lack the reliable, convenient, and repeatable qualities needed to capture the individualized and evolving nature of memory decline. The goal of this project was to predict and track memory decline in subjectively- or mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) individuals by using a model-based, adaptive fact-learning system. Here we present data demonstrating that these tools can diagnose mild memory impairment with over 80% accuracy after a single 8-minute learning session. These findings provide new insights into the nature and progression of memory decline and may have implications for the early detection and management of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.