Abstract
ABSTRACT.There are different causes of memory complaints in the elderly, such as subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.Objective:1) To characterize individuals with memory complaints in a mid-sized city in Brazil, through clinical, cognitive and functional assessment; 2) to compare SCD individuals with MCI and dementia patients in terms of clinical and cognitive variables.Methods:We consecutively included individuals aged ≥50 years, with memory complaints (spontaneous or inquired). Subjects who scored ≥25 on the Memory Complaint Questionnaire or who had spontaneous memory complaints were selected. Participants underwent a semi-structured interview, the Mini-Mental State Examination, Figure Memory Test for visual episodic memory, Clock Drawing Test, Category Fluency (Animals), Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and functional assessment. Individuals were classified as SCD, MCI or dementia. We did not include individuals with previous diagnosis of dementia.Results:The final sample consisted of 91 subjects (73.6% women; mean age 67.6±9.8 years): 14.3% had spontaneous complaints and 85.7% had inquired complaints. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (69.2%), diabetes (36.3%), and dyslipidemia (24.2%). Low levels of vitamin B12 and hypothyroidism were found in 26.4 and 16.5%, respectively. Regarding cognitive diagnosis, 16.5% of the sample were classified as SCD, 49.4% as MCI and 34.1% as dementia. MCI and dementia were identified in five (38.5%) and seven (53.4%) patients with spontaneous complaint, respectively.Conclusions:MCI and dementia are frequently underdiagnosed. Potential reversible causes of cognitive decline are common. The diagnosis of dementia is highly frequent among individuals with spontaneous memory complaints.
Highlights
Cognitive complaints are frequent among older adults.[1]
167 subjects did not present with memory complaints, while 108 (39% of the initial sample) had either spontaneous or inquired memory complaints
We found that clinical diseases, such as systemic arterial hypertension and hypothyroidism, were frequently observed in patients with memory complaints
Summary
Cognitive complaints are frequent among older adults.[1]. Some cognitive functions tend to decrease with age, such as attention and executive functions.[2]. Memory loss is a frequent symptom in different neuropsychiatric disorders, including dementias and psychiatric disorders,[4] and is found in systemic conditions (e.g., hypothyroidism and vitamin B12 deficiency).[5]. Previous studies investigated the prevalence of memory complaints in different populations. The frequency of memory complaints is variable across studies, ranging from 8 to 50%.6-8. Female sex, depressive and anxious symptoms and low educational level are generally associated with a higher prevalence of memory complaints.[3,9,10] memory complaints can predict dementia, in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).[11,12] Despite their clinical relevance, memory complaints are not always reported to the general practitioner.[12] The frequency of memory complaints is variable across studies, ranging from 8 to 50%.6-8 Older age, female sex, depressive and anxious symptoms and low educational level are generally associated with a higher prevalence of memory complaints.[3,9,10] memory complaints can predict dementia, in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).[11,12] Despite their clinical relevance, memory complaints are not always reported to the general practitioner.[12]
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