Network analysis of impulse dyscontrol in mild cognitive impairment and subjective cognitive decline

Objectives: To investigate conditional dependence relationships of impulse dyscontrol symptoms in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Design: A prospective, observational study. Participants: Two hundred and thirty-five patients with MCI (n = 159) or SCD (n = 76) from the Prospective Study for Persons with Memory Symptoms dataset. Measurements: Items of the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist impulse dyscontrol subscale. Results: Stubbornness/rigidity, agitation/aggressiveness, and argumentativeness were frequent and the most central symptoms in the network. Impulsivity, the fourth most central symptom in the network, served as the bridge between these common symptoms and less central and rare symptoms. Conclusions: Impulse dyscontrol in at-risk states for dementia is characterized by closely connected symptoms of irritability, agitation, and rigidity. Compulsions and difficulties in regulating rewarding behaviors are relatively isolated symptoms.