Architectural Constraints in LLM-Simulated Cognitive Decline: In Silico Dissociation of Memory Deficits and Generative Language as Candidate Digital Biomarkers

This study examined whether large language models (LLMs) can generate clinically realistic profiles of cognitive decline and whether simulated deficits reflect architectural constraints rather than superficial role-playing artifacts. Using GPT-4o-mini, we generated synthetic cohorts (n = 10 per group) representing healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), assessed through a conversational neuropsychological battery covering episodic memory, verbal fluency, narrative production, orientation, naming, and comprehension. Experiment 1 tested whether synthetic subjects exhibited graded cognitive profiles consistent with clinical progression (Control > MCI > AD). Experiment 2 systematically manipulated prompt context in AD subjects (short, rich biographical, and few-shot prompts) to dissociate robust from manipulable deficits. Significant cognitive gradients emerged (p < 0.001) across eight of thirteen domains. AD subjects showed impaired episodic memory (Cohen’s d = 4.71), increased memory intrusions, and reduced narrative length (d = 3.07). Critically, structurally constrained memory tasks (episodic recall, digit span) were invariant to prompting (p > 0.05), whereas generative tasks (narrative length, verbal fluency) showed high sensitivity (F > 100, p < 0.001). Rich biographical prompts paradoxically increased memory intrusions by 343%, indicating semantic interference rather than cognitive rescue. These results demonstrate that LLMs can serve as in silico test benches for exploring candidate digital biomarkers and clinical training protocols, while highlighting architectural constraints that may inform computational hypotheses about memory and language processing.