SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Neuropsychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1586418
Risk factors of mild behavioral impairment: a systematic review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Geriatrics, Zhoushan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China
- 2Center for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 3Center for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Introduction: Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) represents a predementia syndrome marked by neuropsychiatric symptoms that may precede detectable cognitive decline. Identifying factors associated with MBI is critical for developing targeted prevention strategies in neurodegenerative disorders. Methods: This systematic review adhered to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Embase through May 2024. Forty-one human studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria were selected through dual independent screening. Results: Five key domains emerged: (1) Genetic susceptibility (APOE ε4 allele showing strongest association), (2) Motor system pathology (particularly Parkinsonian features), (3) Multisensory deficits (auditory impairment demonstrating bidirectional relationships), (4) Metabolic dysregulation (diabetes mellitus and frailty phenotypes), and (5) Neuroanatomical correlates (frontolimbic atrophy patterns on MRI). The interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental/lifestyle factors appears central to MBI pathogenesis. Conclusions: MBI manifests as a multidimensional interface between molecular mechanisms and clinical phenomenology. Our synthesis supports the implementation of transdiagnostic screening protocols integrating behavioral biomarkers with conventional cognitive assessments. Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs to establish causal pathways and intervention thresholds.
Keywords: mild behavioral impairment, Risk factors, Systematic review, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease
Received: 03 Mar 2025; Accepted: 15 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tang, Subramaniam, Siau, Chong and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ponnusamy Subramaniam, Center for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 50300, Malaysia
Fang Liu, Department of Geriatrics, Zhoushan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China
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