Subjective Memory Complaints and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background:Subjective Memory Complaints (SMC) are common in clinical practice. the clinical significance of these subjective complaints among older individuals is not well understood.Aim:To study and discuss the association between SMC and MCI, underlining the importance of an adequate clinical assessment of SMC in the elderly.Methods:Review of the literature.Results:There is no consistent definition of SMC in the literature. Some prospective studies showed an association with objective memory impairments, conceptualizing SMC as a Pre-Mild Cognitive Impairment. SMC are also currently considered to be a core feature of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies showed conflicting results concerning the association between SMC and MCI.Discussion:The understanding of the predictive value of SMC in cognitive decline is still poorly understood. It is important to define criteria aimed to increase specificity of memory complaints, allowing an earlier identification of populations with higher risk of MCI. Future research on this complex association is important to identify SMC individuals at increased risk of conversion to MCI and dementia.

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Prevalence and correlates of subjective memory complaints in Vietnamese adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161021700254x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (7) ◽

pp. 1039-1048 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Oanh L. Meyer ◽

Amanda Leggett ◽

Siwei Liu ◽

Ngoc H. Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Functional Health ◽

Future Research ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Subjective Memory Complaints ◽

Subjective Memory ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Memory Complaints

ABSTRACTBackground:Low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam are home to a majority of the world's population with dementia, yet little is known regarding how individuals in these countries perceive memory problems that might be indicative of cognitive impairment. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) in Vietnamese adults in Da Nang, Vietnam.Methods:A stratified sample of 600 adults (aged ≥ 55 years) living in Da Nang, Vietnam, and surrounding areas were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Students and faculty from the National Technical Medical College Number 2 administered questionnaires in participants’ homes regarding socio-demographic characteristics, functional health, social support, cognitive and mental health, and SMCs. Descriptive and stepwise regression analyses examined the prevalence and correlates of SMCs.Results:Approximately 64% of the sample reported at least poor memory and 39% said that memory interfered with their daily life at least somewhat. Multivariate regression analyses (adjusted for all covariates) showed that depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, self-rated health and pain, and material hardship were associated with SMCs.Conclusions:Prevalence of SMCs as well as depressive symptoms was high in this Vietnamese population. Although future research using more detailed measures of subjective memory and which include longitudinal data are required, the need for physicians to routinely assess Vietnamese patients for depression, SMCs, and cognitive impairment may be warranted.

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Subjective memory complaints associated with depression and cognitive impairment in the elderly: A systematic review

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/s1980-57642015dn91000009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 51-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Allan Gustavo Brigola ◽

Carlene Souza Silva Manzini ◽

Gabriel Brassi Silveira Oliveira ◽

Ana Carolina Ottaviani ◽

Michelli Pacheco Sako ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Longitudinal Studies ◽

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽

The Elderly ◽

Subjective Memory Complaints ◽

Subjective Memory ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Memory Complaints ◽

Cross Sectional Studies

The aging process can be accompanied by a slight decline in cognitive functioning, and subjective memory complaints (SMC) appear to be common in the elderly population. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether SMC is associated with cognitive loss or depression and can predict dementia. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Articles were selected on the following databases, LILACS, SCOPUS, SCiELO, PubMed and Web of Science from August to October 2013. Article selection was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies published between 2010 and 2013, written in English, Spanish or Portuguese, involving populations 65 years or older, were included. Reviews were excluded. RESULTS: After the selection, a summary of the 20 articles retrieved was carried out. Of the total articles retrieved, fifteen were cross-sectional studies and five were longitudinal studies. Most of the cross-sectional studies associated SMC with depression, objective cognitive impairment and anxiety. The emergence of dementia in people with SMC was evidenced in longitudinal studies. Albeit less frequently, SMC were also associated with reduced quality of life, impairment in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms, lower hippocampal volume, amygdala volume reduction, increased activation of the left temporal, bilateral thalamus, caudate and posterior cingulate, and with the occurrence of ApoE ε4. CONCLUSION: SMC may be associated with changes in mood and/or cognition, and its occurrence appears to increase the likelihood of dementia. In order to further our understanding of the topic, future studies should consider the recruitment of representative samples with control groups and longitudinal designs.

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