Learning potential and visuospatial memory could predict amyloid-beta positron emission tomography positivity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

We investigate the role of neuropsychological tests, including the learning potential, in predicting amyloid-beta positron emission tomography (A beta-PET) status in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). This crosssectional study included 64 patients with aMCI (31 A beta-PET (-) and 33 (+)) who visited a memory impairment clinic at Pusan National University Hospital between 2014 and 2019. Patients underwent A beta-PET scans using 18F-florbetaben and the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery. Learning potential was determined based on the difference in scores between the first and third trials of the Seoul Verbal Learning test (SVLT). Binary logistic regression was used to demonstrate the association between A beta-PET status and cognitive tests. Predictive ability of cognitive tests for A beta deposition was investigated using receiver operating characteristic curves analysis. From logistic regression models, the SVLT learning potential and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) delayed recall were found to predict A beta-PET positivity. The areas under the curve (AUC) of the SVLT learning potential and RCFT delayed recall were significantly different from 0.5. Our findings of an association between A beta deposition status and learning potential and visuospatial memory suggest that these cognitive tests could be used to screen patients with aMCI for A beta deposition status.