Self-reported Memory Functioning Research Articles

Self-reported cognitive impairment in individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease

Individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PID) have increased risk for infection, autoimmune conditions, and inflammatory disorders. Cognitive impairment, also referred to as brain fog, has been recognized in other medical conditions and as a side-effect of treatments; however, it has not been previously reported in individuals with PID. The phenomenon of brain fog is recognized in other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, including lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and has resulted from chemotherapy treatment for cancer. This research investigates the self-reported memory function of individuals with a diagnosis of PID. Respondents completed a survey which used reliable and valid questionnaires: Memory Functioning Questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory II, and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory. Of the 292 completed surveys, 133 did not report any comorbid neurological diagnosis or incident of concussion (both of which could influence perceived memory function). When compared to normative scores, the respondents in this study were found to have significantly greater perceived memory impairment. The respondents had a significant higher score for anxiety and depression as compared to non-anxious and non-depressed normative values. This study finds that individuals with a diagnosis of PID have a greater degree of perceived memory impairment, or brain fog, in addition to greater levels of anxiety and depression. Individuals with a diagnosis of PID would benefit from prospective surveillance through a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to track cognitive status and implement corrective measures, should any decline be identified.

A pilot study on factors involved with work participation in the early stages of multiple sclerosis.

BackgroundUp to 30% of recently diagnosed MS patients lose their jobs in the first four years after diagnosis. Taking into account the personal and socio-economic importance of sustaining employment, it is of the utmost importance to examine factors involved with work participation.ObjectiveTo investigate differences in self-reported functioning in recently diagnosed MS patients with and without a paid job.MethodsSelf-reports of physical and cognitive functioning, depression, anxiety and fatigue were gathered from 44 relapsing-remitting MS patients diagnosed within 3 years.ResultsPatients with a paid job (57%) reported better physical functioning (p<0.001), better memory functioning (p = 0.01) and a lower physical impact of fatigue (p = 0.018) than patients without a paid job. Physical functioning was the main predictor of employment status in a logistic regression model. In those with a paid job better memory functioning (r = 0.54, p = 0.005) and a lower social impact of fatigue (r = −0.46, p = 0.029) correlated with an increased number of working hours.ConclusionBetter physical functioning is the primary factor involved with increased work participation in early MS. Better self-reported memory functioning and less social fatigue were associated with increased working hours. These findings highlight the importance of battling these symptoms in the early stages of MS.

Symptom Validity Test Performance and Consistency of Self-Reported Memory Functioning of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with Positive Veteran Health Administration Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluations

Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veterans given definite diagnoses of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) during the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Comprehensive TBI evaluation and reporting no post-deployment head injury were examined to assess (a) consistency of self-reported memory impairment and (b) symptom validity test (SVT) performance via a two-part study. Study 1 found that while 49 of 50 veterans reported moderate to very severe memory impairment during the VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation, only 7 had reported any memory problem at the time of their Department of Defense (DOD) post-deployment health assessment. Study 2 found that of 38 veterans referred for neuropsychological evaluations following a positive VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation, 68.4% failed the Word Memory Test, a forced choice memory recognition symptom validity task. Together, these studies raise questions concerning the use of veteran symptom self-report for TBI assessments and argue for the inclusion of SVTs and the expanded use of contemporaneous DOD records to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation.

The survey of autobiographical memory (SAM): A novel measure of trait mnemonics in everyday life

Compared to the abundance of laboratory-based memory tasks, few measures exist to assess self-reported memory function. This need is particularly important for naturalistic mnemonic capacities, such as autobiographical memory (recall of events and facts from one's past), because it is difficult to reliably assess in the laboratory. Furthermore, naturalistic mnemonic capacities may show stable individual differences that evade the constraints of laboratory testing. The Survey of Autobiographical Memory (SAM) was designed to assess such trait mnemonics, or the dimensional characterization of self-reported mnemonic characteristics. The SAM comprises items assessing self-reported episodic autobiographical, semantic, and spatial memory, as well as future prospection. In a large sample of healthy young adults, the latent dimensional structure of the SAM was characterized with multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). This analysis revealed dimensions corresponding to general mnemonic abilities (i.e., good vs poor memory across subtypes), spatial memory, and future prospection. While episodic and semantic items did not separate in this data-driven analysis, these categories did show expected dissociations in relation to depression history and to laboratory-based measures of recollection. Remote spatial memory as assessed by the SAM showed the expected advantage for males over females. Spatial memory was also related to autobiographical memory performance. Brief versions of the SAM are provided for efficient research applications. Individual differences in memory function are likely related to other health-related factors, including personality, psychopathology, dementia risk, brain structure and function, and genotype. In conjunction with laboratory or performance based assessments, the SAM can provide a useful measure of naturalistic self-report trait mnemonics for probing these relationships.

Subjective Memory in Multiple Sclerosis is Associated with Initial-Trial Learning Performance

Subjective reports of memory functioning are often included as part of neuropsychological evaluations. However, information from subjective measures often conflicts with formal testing results. The current study explored the relationships among self-reported memory functioning and objective learning and memory measures. Sixty-four multiple sclerosis (MS) patients completed a self-report memory questionnaire (Memory Functioning Questionnaire, MFQ) and objective measures of learning and memory (California Verbal Learning Test-II, CVLT-II; Open-Trial Selective Reminding Test, OT-SRT; and Prose Memory, PM). Significant positive correlations were found between self-reported memory functioning and recall following initial exposure to material: OT-SRT Trial 1 (r = .42; p = .001); CVLT-II Trial 1 (r = .39; p = .002): PM Immediate Recall (r = .28; p = .028). Subjective memory was unrelated to recall performance on subsequent learning trials, aggregate learning scores, or delayed free recall. Results suggest that self-reported memory functioning in MS patients may be specifically related to single-trial learning.

Association between dietary saccharide intake and self-reported memory performance in middle-aged adults

The aims of the present study were to assess dietary intake of saccharides in middle-aged adults, and to determine whether intakes of these sugar nutrients were related to self-reported memory performance. A population-based sample of 1183 men and women (aged 40-60 years) completed questionnaires assessing everyday memory function. Dietary intake status of saccharides was estimated using a self-completed, quantified FFQ. After controlling for demographic and health measures (for example, time spent exercising, smoking and alcohol consumption), saccharide intake was related to better self-reported memory functioning. Thus, longer-term intakes of saccharides through the usual diet may be positively related to perceived memory performance in mid-life.

P2-222: Classification of normal elderly, MCI, and mild AD using neuropsychological tests and self-reported memory function

Like most diseases, the most effective management in AD, and the ultimate hope for cure, will depend on early recognition and intervention. The amnestic form of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a frequent precursor of AD and may be the earliest clinical stage of AD. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a simple 45–sec long fixation task, we demonstrated reliable changes in the strength of synchronous positive (Lewis et al., Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 542: 6, 2005) and negative interactions (McCarten et al., Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 542: 7, 2005) between neuronal ensembles in normal elderly (NE), amnestic MCI and mild AD subjects, and provided support for the concept that MCI represents early AD. In the present analysis, we focused on neuropsychological tests and self–reporting memory function to find out whether a set of such variables can yield correct classification of subjects to these diagnostic categories. Subjects were in good general health (NE; N=4; Age± SD =76.67±5.03; MMSE±SD= 28.50±1.29), had amnestic MCI (N=4; 75.0±7.87; 26.50±1.29) or mild AD (N=4; 79.0±0.82; 25.50±1.00) based on a comprehensive history, physical and neuropsychological evaluation. All subjects were tested on a battery of neuropsychological tests (yielding 42 variables), and also completed a 64 item self–report memory questionnaire before and after neuropsychological testing. A linear discriminant classification analysis was performed using the robust leave–one–out method for cross validation. We found that a combination of 7 specific neuropsychological and self–report indices (Digit Span forward, list recall, story recall, and 4 self–report ratings of the seriousness of one's memory impairment) was able to correctly classify all subjects even using the leave–one–out method. In addition, a different set of 6 self–reported memory functioning items, on their own, were able to correctly classify 92% of cases. We are currently assessing the power of MEG–derived synchronous dynamic networks (Langheim et al., PNAS USA 103: 455, 2006) to correctly classify NE, MCI, and AD subjects with highly promising results. These findings demonstrate that brief and non–invasive tests can be used successfully to classify subjects into one of these diagnostic categories.

Paranoid ideation among elderly African American persons.

The prevalence and correlates of paranoid ideation were investigated. On the basis of a sample of 998 independently living elderly African American persons in a cross-sectional study, the study used the Brief Symptom Inventory to measure paranoid ideation and 14 independent variables, including demographic characteristics, cognitive deficit, depression, self-reported memory functioning, emotional and instrumental support, stressful life events, limitation of daily activities, self-rated health status, and self-rated hearing and vision. Paranoid ideation (symptoms of paranoia) was found in 10% of this sample. A multiple regression analysis of the data revealed that of the 14 independent variables used in this study, 6 (income, instrumental support, hearing, stressful life events, self-reported memory deficit, and depression) showed a significant relationship with paranoid ideation.

Effects of Three Types of Memory Training in Normal Elderly

The effectiveness of three memory improvement programs, relative to a wait-list condition, was evaluated in residents of a retirement community. The interventions consisted of: (a) a group-based memory course; (b) one of two self-paced, commercially available audiotape memory improvement programs; and (c) individualized, microcomputer-based, memory training. Participants in each condition received approximately 90 minutes of instruction per week for 9 weeks. Memory performance and self-reported memory function and mood were assessed before and after each intervention. Significant performance gains were found in all three groups on the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test, but these gains were not accompanied by gains in word-list learning or perceived improvement in memory. Whereas participants in all three conditions also reported fewer depressive symptoms after intervention, these changes did not account for the improved memory performance. Participants who showed performance gains with intervention were taking fewer medications and were less likely to have a history of heart disease than those who did not improve. There was little evidence that one intervention was superior to any other, suggesting that mnemonically stimulating activity, rather than any specific process, is responsible for improvement.

Self-reports on memory functioning in a longitudinal study of the oldest old: relation to current, prospective, and retrospective performance.

Self-evaluation of memory performance, one aspect of metamemory, may be an important indicator of concurrent, retrospective, or future decline in memory functioning. The relationships among self-evaluations, cognition, and outcome were investigated in the OCTO study, a longitudinal, population-based panel of the oldest old. Using concurrent data, results indicated that overall cognitive ability, depression, gender, and education were associated with self-reports of memory for the entire sample. The relation of perception of decline to actual decline was also examined. Self-reported decline over a 2-year period was associated with actual decline in performance on three tests of memory. Finally, self-reported memory function was investigated as an indicator of future cognitive decline and diagnosis of dementia. These self-evaluations predicted decline on specific tests of memory over 2 years and subsequent diagnosis of dementia after 2 and 4 years. The amount of variance accounted for by self-evaluations, however, was relatively small, suggesting that complaints reflect different processes, only one of which is the pathological decline involved in dementia.

Self-Reported Memory Function and Psychological Well-Being Among Elderly African American Persons

This study examinedthe impact of self-reported memory deficits on psychological well-being among a sample of 998 elderly African American persons. Using multiple regression and employing other related variables (that previously have been identified as common predictors of psychological well-being), the findings of this study suggest that the risk of having a lower level of psychological well-being was greater for persons with more memory problems, even after demographic characteristics, functional limitations, health status, and cognition were included in regression equations. Self-reported memory deficits werefound to be the strongest predictor of psychological well-being. The strength of relationship between self-reported memory deficits and psychological well-being was stronger among women than men.

Correlates of memory decline: a 4-year longitudinal study of older adults with memory complaints.

Change in memory performance and its correspondence to change in speed of performance and self-reported memory functioning were investigated longitudinally in 30 older adults with memory complaints. Subjects were assessed by self-report questionnaires and cognitive tests 3 times, at near 2-year intervals. A significant decline in word-recall scores was found, which was accompanied at the group level by significant self-reported decline in everyday memory functioning and nonsignificant decline in Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Digit Symbol scores (alpha = .05). The oldest subjects showed the most substantial declines in memory performance. At the individual level, however, memory change did not significantly correlate with either change in self-reports or change in Digit Symbol scores. Although these results do not support a cognitive slowing model of decline at the intraindividual level, they do have implications for intervention of age-related memory decline.