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New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment
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New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 3150

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irene Fernández

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Guest Editor
Department of Methodology for the Behavioral Sciences, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Interests: psychometrics; older adults; cognition; quality of life; structural equation modeling; gerontology
Dr. Laura Galiana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Methodology for the Behavioral Sciences, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Interests: structural equation modeling; gerontology; palliative medicine; psychometrics; healthcare professionals; quality of life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cognitive aging is one of the greatest challenges people face during the aging process. Cognitive deterioration is considered normal in the aging process to some degree; however, clinical manifestations of cognitive impairment, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), may affect functional ability and thus require attention.

The aim of this Special Issue, “New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment”, is to explore cognition among older adults, from its conceptualization and measurement to longitudinal analysis and recently developed intervention strategies.

We welcome contributions that incorporate a multidisciplinary approach and embed cognition within the broader context of aging. Likewise, scientific contributions focusing on the particularities of cognitive ability measurement in late adulthood and differences among distinct measurement approaches are also welcomed.

We encourage researchers, clinicians, and professionals across disciplines—such as psychology, medicine, nursing, neuroscience, gerontology, and public health—to contribute to this Special Issue. By contributing, scholars will not only advance academic knowledge on cognitive aging and MCI but also help shape practical approaches to diagnosis, prevention, and intervention.

We look forward to your valuable contributions and to collectively advancing research and clinical practice in the field of cognitive aging.

Dr. Irene Fernández
Dr. Laura Galiana
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cognitive aging
  • mild cognitive impairment
  • normative aging
  • neuropsychological assessment
  • diagnosis
  • gerontology
  • prevention
  • intervention
  • multidisciplinary approach
  • measurement

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 603 KB  
Article
Differential Effects of Lifestyle Indicators on Cognitive Functioning Across Healthy, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Stroke Groups
by Adrián García-Mollá, Amparo Oliver and José M. Tomás
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(7), 2620; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15072620 - 30 Mar 2026
Viewed by 510
Abstract
Background/Objectives: As life expectancy increases, chronic diseases have become more prevalent, often leading to poorer health in later years. Maintaining cognitive functioning is therefore essential for preserving independence in older adulthood. Within the framework of cognitive enrichment, research highlights the protective role [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: As life expectancy increases, chronic diseases have become more prevalent, often leading to poorer health in later years. Maintaining cognitive functioning is therefore essential for preserving independence in older adulthood. Within the framework of cognitive enrichment, research highlights the protective role of healthy lifestyles and engagement in social and intellectual activities on cognitive functioning. This study aimed to provide evidence of the moderator effect of diagnosis group (including healthy condition, dementia, Parkinson’s, and stroke) on a predictive model of cognitive function. Methods: Data employed in this study came from the 9th wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, including 17,105 individuals aged 50 years and older from 27 European countries. Cognitive functioning was assessed through numeracy, temporal orientation, verbal fluency, and memory. Physical inactivity, social participation, intellectual activities, age, gender, and education were included as predictors. A measurement invariance routine across diagnostic groups was tested. Results: The model demonstrated excellent fit in the general sample and partial invariance across groups. Physical inactivity was negatively associated with numeracy in all groups, with stronger effects in clinical populations, particularly stroke and dementia. Intellectual activities were positively associated with numeracy across groups, with the largest effects observed in dementia. Temporal orientation, physical inactivity and intellectual activities showed significant associations mainly in clinical groups, whereas age demonstrated a consistent negative effect across all groups. Conclusions: Lifestyle factors show differential associations with cognitive domains depending on diagnostic condition. These findings support the heterogeneity of cognitive aging and highlight the importance of tailored, person-centered intervention strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment)
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16 pages, 285 KB  
Article
Cognitive Status Classification Among Older Adults: A Study from SHARE-HCAP
by Aitana Sanz, Laura Galiana and Irene Fernández
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(24), 8625; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14248625 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 878
Abstract
Background: Cognitive impairment is a major health problem, so several studies worldwide have studied its aggravating and protective factors. However, few studies have looked into the prediction of better or worsening cognitive status based on the presence of the most relevant biopsychosocial factors. [...] Read more.
Background: Cognitive impairment is a major health problem, so several studies worldwide have studied its aggravating and protective factors. However, few studies have looked into the prediction of better or worsening cognitive status based on the presence of the most relevant biopsychosocial factors. Thus, the aim of this study is to predict cognitive status classification, specifically into normal cognitive status, mild cognitive impairment, and severe cognitive impairment, based on the most studied risk and protective factors in the context of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol association (SHARE-HCAP) project. Methods: Participants were from five European countries, and measures included their cognitive status classification from SHARE-HCAP and several associated factors previously measured in the eighth wave of SHARE. Results: A multinomial logistic regression was performed, with normal cognition as the reference category. Most individuals were correctly classified. Conclusions: Frequent participation in social activities and good cognitive task performance were associated with a lower likelihood of mild cognitive impairment compared to normal cognitive status. In turn, higher scores in depression and social network were associated with an increased likelihood of being classified as MCI in contrast to normal cognition. Additionally, being a woman and having worse cognitive performance were predictors of severe cognitive impairment classification over normal cognition status. Depression also contributed to a higher likelihood of being classified as mild and severe cognitive impairment, in contrast to a normal cognitive status. These findings highlight the importance of preventive medical check-ups and interventions before the onset of the first cognitive decline symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment)
26 pages, 1885 KB  
Article
Cognitive Age Delta as a Marker of Healthy and Pathological Cognitive Aging: The Role of Lifestyle, Cognitive Reserve, and Vascular Risk
by Ainara Estanga, Iñigo Tellaetxe-Elorriaga, Mirian Ecay-Torres, Jorge García Condado, Maite García-Sebastián, Maria Arriba, Carolina López, Naia Ros, Ane Iriondo, Imanol Reparaz-Escudero, Asier Erramuzpe, Pablo Martínez-Lage and Miren Altuna
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(22), 8176; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14228176 - 18 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1400
Abstract
Background: Chronological age is an imprecise proxy for cognitive aging. The Cognitive Age Delta (CAD)—the difference between predicted cognitive age and chronological age—offers a scalable, individualized marker of functional brain aging. We examined determinants of CAD in cognitively unimpaired (CU) adults stratified by [...] Read more.
Background: Chronological age is an imprecise proxy for cognitive aging. The Cognitive Age Delta (CAD)—the difference between predicted cognitive age and chronological age—offers a scalable, individualized marker of functional brain aging. We examined determinants of CAD in cognitively unimpaired (CU) adults stratified by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular biomarkers. Methods: We analyzed 177 CU participants from the Gipuzkoa Alzheimer Project (Basque Country, Northern Spain) classified as amyloid-negative/vascular-negative (CUA−V−, n = 140), amyloid-positive (CUA+, n = 23), or vascular-positive (CUV+, n = 14) using CSF and MRI criteria; vascular burden was defined as Fazekas ≥ 2 on T2-FLAIR or ≥4 microbleeds on SWI, excluding non-traumatic superficial siderosis and established ischemic lesions. MRI was used solely for vascular classification. Associations with demographic, genetic, lifestyle, and reserve measures were tested with General Linear Models. Results: CAD did not differ across biomarker groups (Kruskal–Wallis H(2) = 0.17, p = 0.91). Median (IQR) CAD values were 0.28 (−4.13, 4.69) for CUA−V−, −0.14 (−3.15, 2.87) for CUA+, and 0.77 (−2.22, 3.76) for CUV+, indicating comparable distributions. Higher vocabulary scores (proxy of cognitive reserve) related to a younger cognitive age in CUA−V− (β = −1.39, p < 0.001) and CUA+ (β = −2.08, p = 0.054). In CUA+, greater sedentary time—particularly computer-based sitting—was also associated with lower CAD (daily sitting β = −2.13, p = 0.009; workday computer sitting β = −2.32, p = 0.015). CAD showed no associations with CSF Aβ42, p-tau or t-tau, APOE ε4 load, or vascular risk factors (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: CAD captures interindividual resilience-related variability beyond classical AD biomarkers. Vocabulary, a marker of lifelong enrichment, emerged as a robust determinant of a younger cognitive age, while amyloid and vascular pathology exerted limited influence at preclinical stages. These findings support CAD as a sensitive, scalable endpoint for identifying protective factors and guiding personalized prevention in early Aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment)
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