Subjective cognitive decline, object cognition and emotional states in older Peruvian adults during COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) is considered a risk factor for developing dementia. Its relationship with objective cognitive performance and emotional functioning is not yet clear. We investigated the association between SCD, objective cognition and emotional states in older adults from Arequipa, Peru.Methods43 older adults between 55 and 86 years old (mean = 69.72) completed a clinical and neuropsychological evaluation prior the lockdown for COVID‐19 pandemic. We used the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Pfeffer functional scale as a clinical protocol. The Peruvian version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT), the Trail Making Test (TMT A and B), the Stroop test, the Rey‐Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and verbal fluency tasks were used to assess cognition. All participants were also evaluated by telephone during the COVID‐19 pandemic using a broad psychological protocol that included the everyday cognition (E‐COG) as a measure of SCD and the total score and emotional subscale of the Epidemic Pandemic Impact Inventory (EPII). We used nonparametric correlation statistics.ResultsWe observed significant associations between the BDI scores and the total E‐COG (Rho = .347, p = .022) and between the BDI and the memory subscale of E‐COG (Rho = .425, p = .004). Further, we observed significant relationships between the emotional subscale of the EPII and the total E‐COG (Rho = .344, p = .023). There were no significant relationships between neuropsychological measures with the E‐COG and EPII.ConclusionsOur findings are consistent with previous studies that have shown that SCD is more associated with emotional states than with objective cognitive performance. Likewise, findings suggest that reported emotional changes during the pandemic may have impacted SCD, but not cognitive performance.