Naturalistic assessment of everyday functioning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment: the day-out task.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The day-out task (DOT), a naturalistic task that requires multitasking in a real-world setting, was used to examine everyday functioning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Method

Thirty-eight participants with MCI and 38 cognitively healthy older adult controls prioritized, organized, initiated, and completed a number of subtasks in a campus apartment to prepare for a day out (e.g., determine and gather change for bus, bring a magazine). Participants also completed tests assessing cognitive constructs important in multitasking (i.e., retrospective memory, prospective memory, planning).

Results

As compared with controls, the MCI group required more time to complete the DOT and demonstrated poorer task accuracy, performing more subtasks incom

SUBMITTER: Schmitter-Edgecombe M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3546511 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature