Abstract
Subjective Cognitive Complaints (SCCs) may represent one of the earliest stages of preclinical dementia. The objective of the present study was to extend previous work by our group to examine the relationship between participant-reported and informant-reported memory and non-memory SCCs, cognitive decline and incident dementia, over a six-year period. Participants were 873 community dwelling older adults (Mage = 78.65, SD = 4.79) without dementia and 843 informants (close friends or family) from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Comprehensive neuropsychological testing and diagnostic assessments were carried out at baseline and biennially for six years. Linear mixed models and Cox proportional hazard models were performed to determine the association of SCCs, rate of cognitive decline and risk of incident dementia, controlling demographics and covariates of mood and personality. Participant and informant memory-specific SCCs were associated with rate of global cognitive decline; for individual cognitive domains, participant memory SCCs predicted decline for language, while informant memory SCCs predicted decline for executive function and memory. Odds of incident dementia were associated with baseline participant memory SCCs and informant memory and non-memory SCCs in partially adjusted models. In fully adjusted models, only informant SCCs were associated with increased risk of incident dementia. Self-reported memory-specific cognitive complaints are associated with decline in global cognition over 6-years and may be predictive of incident dementia, particularly if the individual is depressed or anxious and has increased neuroticism or decreased openness. Further, if and where possible, informants should be sought and asked to report on their perceptions of the individual's memory ability and any memory-specific changes that they have noticed as these increase the index of diagnostic suspicion.
Highlights
Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) relate to an individual’s self-experience of cognitive decline and are currently a core criterion in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [1, 2]
Given ongoing questions relating to the relationship of SCCs with cognitive decline and incident dementia, and questions about whether SCCs’ relationship to cognitive decline and risk of dementia strengthens over time, the present paper extends our previous work to consider the associations between SCCs, cognitive decline, and incident dementia over six-years
004 .010 .004 .017 β’s are unstandardized regression coefficients a Regressions were controlled for participant age, sex and education. b Regressions were controlled for participant age, sex, education Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Goldberg Anxiety Scale (GAS), neuroticism, openness and conscientiousness scales of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI)
Summary
Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) relate to an individual’s self-experience of cognitive decline and are currently a core criterion in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [1, 2]. SCCs, in the absence of impaired cognitive performance, have been related to the presence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers such as amyloid plaques in the brain and tau proteins found in cerebral spinal fluid [3, 4]. For this reason, SCCs are increasingly considered by some researchers to be the earliest detectable, pre-MCI stage of AD [5]. These conflicting findings have led some to question whether SCCs should be a core diagnostic criterion for MCI and provide little clarity about whether SCCs are useful in detecting prodromal dementia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
