Individuals with subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) and reduced hippocampal volumes (HV) may be at increased risk of future cognitive decline, though findings regarding the relationship between SCCs and HV have been mixed. The current study explores the association of HV with SCCs and objective cognitive performance in a diverse sample. Participants in a population-based cardiovascular risk study (N = 1754; MAge = 58.8, 59% Female, 50% Black, 10% Hispanic) responded to three subjective cognitive functioning questions prior to completing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): 1) Do you have consistent memory problems, 2) If YES, do they interfere with everyday activities, and 3) do you have trouble figuring things out/solving problems. HV were derived from a 3-tesla MRI and normalized using total intracranial volume. Partial correlations examined associations between HV, MoCA scores, and SCCs, while one-way ANCOVA compared HV by SCC endorsement pattern, controlling for demographics. Findings revealed smaller HV in those who endorsed all SCC questions (n = 27; MHV =0.34) compared to those without any SCC (n = 631, MHV = 0.36, p = 0.001), though effect size was small (η2 = 0.015). HV were not correlated with SCCs (r = -0.06, p = 0.10) or cognitive performance (r = 0.01, p = 0.75), and SCCs had a small correlation with MoCA scores (r = -0.18, p < 0.001). Subjective cognitive functioning was minimally associated with HV and cognitive performance in this sample, and as a result the clinical significance of these findings is unclear. Further research is needed to understand the possible neuroanatomical correlates of SCC, along with the predictive utility of SCCs in the early identification of cognitive decline.
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