Incidence of subjective cognitive decline in a private practice memory clinic

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundSubjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) has been one focus of interest in dementia research, partly because of the concept that some people with SCD may be in the earliest stage of Alzheimer Disease (AD). The prevalence of SCD has been reported as ranging from 15‐54%, but most estimates come either from population‐based studies or from academic Memory Clinics. The author is the sole provider in a Memory Clinic established in a private‐practice healthcare company in a large US city, and evaluates all new patient referrals for cognitive complaints.MethodAll new patient evaluations for referrals to the Novant Health Memory Clinic in Charlotte, NC, for a period of one year (2021), were reviewed. The number of cases diagnosed as having AD, the number diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and the number with SCD, were tabulated. AD and MCI were diagnosed according to the clinical criteria from the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association. Diagnosis of SCD was made according to the criteria published by the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD‐I) Working Group.ResultDuring 2021, there were a total of 886 new patient evaluations in the Memory Clinic. Of those, 323 (36%) patients met clinical criteria for AD, 272 (31%) met criteria for MCI, and 211 (24%) for SCD.ConclusionSCD is relatively common in the private practice Memory Clinic setting. This could afford a potential to identify those people without dementia, who are at risk for later developing AD. The high prevalence of SCD may also create a market for unproven treatments for memory loss.