Altered interval timing in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Interval timing (IT) refers to temporal processing within the seconds-to-minutes range and is closely linked to attention, memory, and executive control. Although alterations in IT accuracy and precision have been reported in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases, findings in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remain limited and inconclusive. We evaluated IT accuracy and precision in older adults with MCI and cognitively normal controls using a visual interval reproduction task. Sixty-three adults aged ≥60 years were recruited: 30 with MCI, diagnosed according to Winblad criteria, and 33 cognitively normal controls (normal neuropsychological performance). Participants completed a visual interval reproduction task involving stimulus durations of 3, 6, and 9 seconds. Performance parameters, including peak location, peak height (amplitude), peak width, S1 and S2 rate indexes, and coefficient of variation, were derived from Gaussian model fits. Participants also completed a sustained attention task and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Significant group differences were observed in precision and accuracy, with both measures showing lower performance in the MCI group compared with the control group. Reaction time was significantly longer in participants with MCI than in controls. These findings support the potential value of IT as a sensitive tool for detecting early cognitive changes and informing interventions during these initial stages.