Subjective Cognitive Decline Predicts Concurrent Cognition in Hispanics, but not in Non-Hispanic Whites: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Abstract Objective Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is prevalent among older adults and may be indicative of future cognitive decline. However, the expression of SCD may vary across ethnic groups due to factors such as educational level, awareness of decline, and depression. This study explored whether SCD scores predicted concurrent cognition in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White older adults, after adjusting for variables known to affect this relationship. Participants and Method Twenty-two Hispanic (mostly Mexican-American) and 27 Non-Hispanic White older adults were recruited from ongoing studies at the University of California, San Diego. The “My Cognition” version of the Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q) developed in Spain measured SCD (modified to “Mexican” Spanish and administered in language of preference - 55% in Spanish). The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) measured global cognition and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) measured mood. Results A hierarchical regression examined if ethnic group moderated the association between SCD-Q total score and DRS total score after adjusting for age, gender, education, and GDS score. Ethnicity moderated the relationship between SCD and DRS (β = -1.071, p = .024). Higher SCD-Q scores significantly predicted lower DRS scores in Hispanics (β = -.97, p < .01), but not in Non-Hispanic Whites (β = -.23, p = .33), after adjusting for co-variates. Education level was the only significant predictor of DRS scores in the Non-Hispanic group. Conclusions Preliminary findings indicate that the SCD-Q may be a sensitive predictor of concurrent cognitive function in Hispanics, compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, suggesting that the SCD-Q may be culturally sensitive. Future studies should replicate these findings and investigate ethnic differences in the correlates of SCD (i.e., education, acculturation, depression reporting), which may account for the current findings. Importantly, future research should investigate if SCD can predict future cognitive changes in Hispanics.