Association Between Proxy- or Self-Reported Cognitive Decline and Cognitive Performance in Memory Clinic Visitors

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It is uncertain whether self- and proxy-reported cognitive decline in older adults reflect an actual objective cognitive dysfunction in the clinical sense, and if these are predictive for developing dementia. The aim of the present study is to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation between subjective cognitive decline and objective cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, and to determine the predictive value for development of dementia. We included 405 patients without dementia at first visit from the Maastricht memory clinic participating in a longitudinal cohort study. Subjective cognitive decline was measured using a self- and proxy-report questionnaire. All patients underwent a standardized neuropsychological assessment. Follow-up assessments were performed yearly for three consecutive years, and once after five years. Subjective cognitive decline was associated with lower cognitive performance and more depressive symptoms. When comparing self- (n = 342, 84%) and proxy-reported decline (n = 110, 27%), it was shown that proxy reports were associated with a more widespread pattern of lower cognitive performance. In participants without cognitive impairment proxy-reported decline was not associated with depressive symptoms. In contrast, self-reported decline was associated with a stable course of depressive symptoms at follow-up. Proxy-reported cognitive decline (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.12- 2.78), and mutual complaints (HR = 1.73, CI:1.09- 2.76) predicted incident dementia while self-reported decline did not reach statistical significance (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.65- 2.43). Proxy-reported cognitive decline was consistently associated with lower cognitive performance and conversion to dementia over 5 years. Self-reported cognitive decline in patients without cognitive impairment might indicate underlying depressive symptoms and thus deserve clinical attention as well.