Autobiographical Memory and Cognitive Disorders

In the context of Alzheimer's disease(AD), one can find a decline of autobiographical memory(AM). Main characteristic of AM loss is overgenerality. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of cognitive disorders on AM. Therefore we used the “Bielefeld Autobiographical Memory Inventory“ (BAGI), an instrument that allows a qualitative and quantitative analyis of AM. We examined a control group(CG), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with mild AD (AD) and with major depression (MD). AM was examined with the BAGI, further neuropsychological tests included the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE, CERAD-NP-Battery, and other. Psychopathology was examined with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and other. Influences of personality were controlled with the NEO Five Factor Inventory(NEO FFI). We found differences in the quality of memory and the amount of details. The CG remembered significantly more specific episodes and more details than the other groups, and the MD and MCI reported more details compared to the AD. In the other cognitive and non-cognitive variables we found the expected results. The results concerning AM in most domains reached significance only for mild AD. Overgeneral memory was shown in AD, but not in MCI. Concerning the other cognitive and non-cognitive variables we found the expected results. The BAGI revealed as a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of AM, even when the differentiation between MCI and AD was weak.