Mario Amore Cecchini

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

  • Psychology department
  • School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences
  • The University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Street

Psychology
7 George Square

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9JZ

Biography

Background

I am a psychology researcher with expertise in cognitive and behavioural changes associated with ageing and neurodegenerative conditions. I am currently a postdoctoral research assistant working with Professor Sharon Abrahams, investigating the relationship between cognitive abilities and decisional capacity in people living with motor neurone disease (MND). This work aims to advance understanding of autonomy and decision-making in the context of assisted dying.

My Master’s and doctoral research focused on cognitive assessments with the potential to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Alongside my academic work, I have over ten years of experience as a clinical neuropsychologist.

Qualifications

Human Cognitive Neuroscience (PhD) - The University of Edinburgh

Supervisor: Sergio Della Sala

Co-supervisor: Robert Logie

My doctoral research focused on two cognitive tasks that are studied as an earlier marker of Alzheimer's disease: the short-term conjunctive memory binding test and subjective measures of memory.

Neuropsychology (MSc) - The University of Sao Paulo, Brazil 

Supervisor: Mônica Sanches Yassuda

During my Master’s training, I investigated two versions of the short-term conjunctive memory binding test (free recall and change detection). I tested cognitively unimpaired participants, patients with Alzheimer’s disease and patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. 

Research summary

Clinical and experimental neuropsychology.

Interest in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Current research interests

Neuropsychological profile of people with motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) Decision making in MND/ALS. Memory binding deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

Past research interests

Memory binding; Forgetting; Neuropsychology.

As first/last author

 

  1. Cecchini, M. A., Studart-Neto, A., Moraes, N. C., Carneiro, C. G., Gomes, A.C., Buchpiguel, C.A., Brucki, S. M. D., Coutinho, A. M., Nitrini, R., Yassuda, M. S. (2026). Short-term memory conjunctive binding in subjective cognitive decline: A PET biomarker-based study. Journal of Neurology, 273(107). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-026-13640-4
  2. Cecchini, M. A., Della Sala, S., & Logie, R. H. (2025). Internal structure of the prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire – PRMQ – in a sample of 297,242 participants. Memory, 33(9), 1152-1163. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2025.2557955
  3. Cecchini, M. A., Parra, M. A., Brazzelli, M., Logie, R. H., & Della Sala, S. (2023). Short-term memory conjunctive binding in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology, 37(7), 769-789. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000825
  4. Wajman, J. R., & Cecchini, M. A. (2023). A simple counting of verbal fluency errors discriminates between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 30(3), 370-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2022.2035668
  5. Cecchini, M. A., Yassuda, M. S., Squarzoni, P., Coutinho, A. M., de Paula Faria, D., Duran, F. L. S., Costa, N. A. D., Porto, F. H. G., Nitrini, R., Forlenza, O. V., Brucki, S. M. D., Buchpiguel, C. A., Parra, M. A., & Busatto, G. F. (2021). Deficits in short-term memory binding are detectable in individuals with brain amyloid deposition in the absence of overt neurodegeneration in the Alzheimer's disease continuum. Brain and Cognition, 152, 105749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105749
  6. Cecchini, M. A., Foss, M. P., Tumas, V., Patrocinio, F. A. P., Chiari-Correia, R. D., Novaretti, N., Brozinga, T. R., Bahia, V. S., de Souza, L. C., Cerqueira Guimarães, H., Caramelli, P., Lima-Silva, T. B., Cassimiro, L., Brucki, S. M. D., Nitrini, R., Della Sala, S., Parra, M. A., & Yassuda, M. S. (2020). Profiles of cognitive impairment in the continuum from normal cognition to Alzheimer's clinical syndrome: Contributions of the short-term memory binding tests. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 35(11), 1331–1340. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5370
  7. Cecchini, M. A., Yassuda, M. S., Bahia, V. S., de Souza, L. C., Guimarães, H. C., Caramelli, P., Carthery-Goulart, M. T., Patrocínio, F., Foss, M. P., Tumas, V., Lima-Silva, T. B., Brucki, S. M. D., Nitrini, R., Della Sala, S., & Parra, M. A. (2017). Recalling feature bindings differentiates Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia. Journal of Neurology, 264(10), 2162-2169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-017-8614-9

 

As co-author

  1. Cassimiro, L., Cecchini, M. A., Cipolli, G. C., & Yassuda, M. S. (2024). Age, but not education, affects social decision-making in the ultimatum game paradigm. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 82(7), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1787759
  2. César-Freitas, K. G., Berardis, A. C. P., Pretto, T. V. M., Viagi, A. M., Lourençon, V., Zanini, L. Y. K., Barbosa, I. C. C., Machado, R. P., Cunha, N. G. M., Watanabe, M. J. L., Cecchini, M. A., Brucki, S. M. D., & Nitrini, R. (2023). Follow-up of participants with subjective cognitive decline from Tremembé epidemiologic study, Brazil. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 17, e20220064. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5764-DN-2022-0064
  3. Da Silva, T. B. L., Ordonez, T. N., Bregola, A. G., Bahia, V. S., Cecchini, M. A., Guimarães, H. C., Gambogi, L. B., Caramelli, P., Balthazar, M. L. F., Damasceno, B. P., Brucki, S. M. D., de Souza, L. C., Nitrini, R., & Yassuda, M. S. (2021). Neuropsychiatric symptoms in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease: A 12-month follow-up study. Frontiers in Neurology, 12, 728108. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.728108
  4. Lima-Silva, T. B., Mioshi, E., Bahia, V. S., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Guimarães, H. C., Gambogi, L. B., Caramelli, P., Balthazar, M., Damasceno, B., Brucki, S. M. D., de Souza, L. C., Nitrini, R., & Yassuda, M. S. (2021). Disease progression in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease: The contribution of staging scales. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 34(5), 397-404. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988720944239   
  5. Ortega, L. V., Aprahamian, I., Martinelli, J. E., Cecchini, M. A., Cação, J. C., & Yassuda, M. S. (2021). Diagnostic accuracy of usual cognitive screening tests versus appropriate tests for lower education to identify Alzheimer disease. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 34(3), 222–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988720958542
  6. Moraes, N. C., Muela, H. C. S., Memória, C. M., Costa-Hong, V. A. D., Machado, M. F., Cecchini, M. A., Nitrini, R., Bortolotto, L. A., & Yassuda, M. S. (2020). Systemic arterial hypertension and cognition in adults: Effects on executive functioning. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 78(7), 412-418. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X20200039
  7. Yassuda, M. S., Carthery-Goulart, M. T., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Fernandes, K. D., Baradel, R. R., Garcia, R. B., Nitrini, R., Della Sala, S., & Parra, M. A. (2020). Free recall of bound information held in short-term memory is unimpaired by age and education. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 35(2), 165-175. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acz015
  8. Wajman, J. R., Cecchini, M. A., Bertolucci, P. H. F., & Mansur, L. L. (2019). Quanti-qualitative components of the semantic verbal fluency test in cognitively healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia subtypes. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 26(6), 533-542. https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2018.1465426
  9. Lima-Silva, T. B., Bahia, V. S., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Guimarães, H. C., Gambogi, L. B., Caramelli, P., Balthazar, M., Damasceno, B., Brucki, S. M. D., de Souza, L. C., Nitrini, R., Mioshi, E., & Yassuda, M. S. (2018). Validity and reliability of the Frontotemporal Dementia Rating Scale (FTD-FRS) for the progression and staging of dementia in Brazilian patients. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 32(3), 220-225. https://doi.org/10.1097/WAD.0000000000000246
  10. Bahia, V. S., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Viana, R., Lima-Silva, T. B., de Souza, L. C., Carvalho, V. A., Guimarães, H. C., Caramelli, P., Balthazar, M. L. F., Damasceno, B., Brucki, S. M. D., Nitrini, R., & Yassuda, M. S. (2018). The accuracy of INECO Frontal Screening in the diagnosis of executive dysfunction in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 32(4), 314-319. https://doi.org/10.1097/WAD.0000000000000255
  11. César, K. G., Brucki, S. M., Takada, L. T., Nascimento, L. F., Gomes, C. M., Almeida, M. C., Oliveira, M. O., Porto, F. H., Senaha, M. L., Bahia, V. S., Silva, T. B., Ianof, J. N., Spíndola, L., Schmidt, M. T., Jorge, M. S., Vale, P. H., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Soares, R. T., Gonçalves, M. R., … Nitrini, R. (2016). Prevalence of cognitive impairment without dementia and dementia in Tremembé, Brazil. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 30(3), 264-271. https://doi.org/10.1097/WAD.0000000000000122
  12. César, K. G., Brucki, S. M. D., Takada, L. T., Nascimento, L. F. C., Gomes, C. M. S., Almeida, M. C. S., Oliveira, M. O., Porto, F. H. G., Senaha, M. L. H., Bahia, V. S., Silva, T. B. L., Ianof, J. N., Spíndola, L., Schmidt, M. T., Jorge, M. S., Vale, P. H. F., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., Soares, R. T., Gonçalves, M. R., … Nitrini, R. (2014). Performance of the visual analogue scale of happiness and of the Cornell Scale for Depression in dementia in the Tremembé Epidemiological Study, Brazil. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 8(4), 389-393. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642014DN84000014
  13. César, K. G., Takada, L. T., Brucki, S. M. D., Nitrini, R., Nascimento, L. F. C., Oliveira, M. O., Gomes, C. M. S., Almeida, M. C. S., Porto, F. H., Senaha, M. L. H., Bahia, V. S., Yassuda, M. S., Silva, T. B. L., Ianof, J. N., Spíndola, L., Schmidt, M. T., Jorge, M. S., Vale, P. H. F., Cecchini, M. A., Cassimiro, L., … Daré, P. (2013). Prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly in the city of Tremembé, Brazil: Preliminary findings of an epidemiological study. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 7(3), 252-257. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642013DN70300004
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