scholarly journals Informant Personality Is Associated With Ratings of Memory Problems in Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 479-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Buchanan ◽  
Catherine Loveday
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
Scale Reliability ◽  
Memory Measure ◽  
Diagnostic Criterion

Memory complaints are a key diagnostic criterion for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Rating scales can be used to capture information about individuals’ memory problems from informants such as family members. However, problems with scale reliability suggest that individual differences influence the ratings informants provide. This project tested whether informants’ neuroticism was associated with their ratings of an older adult’s memory. In an online study, 293 volunteers completed a Five-Factor Personality Questionnaire and used 2 memory questionnaires to provide ratings of memory problems in an older individual they knew well. Rater neuroticism correlated positively with estimates of memory problems: More neurotic informants provided higher estimates of memory difficulties in the person they were rating. A second study replicated this finding with 786 volunteers and another widely used memory measure, the AD8. In both studies, exploratory analyses suggested the effect size was large enough to impact on clinical practice.

scholarly journals Association of depressive symptoms and subjective memory complaints with the incidence of cognitive impairment in older adults with high blood pressure

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Germán Borda ◽  
José Manuel Santacruz ◽  
Dag Aarsland ◽  
Sandy Camargo-Casas ◽  
Carlos Alberto Cano-Gutierrez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
High Blood Pressure ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Complaints

Memory Compensation Strategies in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-96
Author(s):  
Pinghsiu Lin ◽  
Haley M. LaMonica ◽  
Sharon L. Naismith ◽  
Loren Mowszowski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Memory Strategy

AbstractObjectives:With the rapid growth of the older population worldwide, understanding how older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) use memory strategies to mitigate cognitive decline is important. This study investigates differences between amnestic and nonamnestic MCI subtypes in memory strategy use in daily life, and how factors associated with cognition, general health, and psychological well-being might relate to strategy use.Methods:One hundred forty-eight participants with MCI (mean age = 67.9 years, SD = 8.9) completed comprehensive neuropsychological, medical, and psychological assessments, and the self-report ‘Memory Compensation Questionnaire’. Correlational and linear regression analyses were used to explore relationships between memory strategy use and cognition, general health, and psychological well-being.Results:Memory strategy use does not differ between MCI subtypes (p > .007) despite higher subjective everyday memory complaints in those with amnestic MCI (p = .03). The most marked finding showed that increased reliance-type strategy use was significantly correlated with more subjective memory complaints and poorer verbal learning and memory (p < .01) in individuals with MCI. Moreover, fewer subjective memory complaints and better working memory significantly predicted (p < .05) less reliance strategy use, respectively, accounting for 10.6% and 5.3% of the variance in the model.Conclusions:In general, the type of strategy use in older adults with MCI is related to cognitive functioning. By examining an individual’s profile of cognitive dysfunction, a clinician can provide more personalized clinical recommendations regarding strategy use to individuals with MCI, with the aim of maintaining their day-to-day functioning and self-efficacy in daily life.

Perceptions of memory problems are more important in predicting distress in older adults with subjective memory complaints than coping strategies

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1334-1343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Hurt ◽  
Alistair Burns ◽  
Christine Barrowclough
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Illness Perceptions ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Common Sense Model ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
And Coping

ABSTRACTBackground: There is a high prevalence of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) amongst older adults, many of whom experience significant distress. It remains unclear why some older adults with SMCs experience more distress than others. The Common Sense Model of Illness Perceptions has been used to explain patients’ differential response to illness based on the beliefs they hold about their illness and subsequent selection of coping strategies. The present study aimed to examine the role of perceptions and coping styles in predicting anxiety and depression in older adults with SMCs.Methods: 98 participants with SMCs completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Memory Problems (IPQ-M), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the contribution of illness perceptions and coping to the explanation of variance in depression and anxiety.Results: Perceptions of SMCs were found to predict both depression and anxiety while coping strategies did not. Perceptions of serious consequences of SMCs and causal attributions predicted greater depression, while attribution of memory problems to lack of blood to the brain was the only predictor of increased anxiety.Conclusions: Illness perceptions predicted depression and anxiety in older adults with SMCs. Contrary to the Common-Sense Model coping style was not found to be an important determinant of psychological distress. The findings provide a basis for developing interventions to reduce psychological distress in older adults with subjective memory complaints. Targeting causal attributions and perceived consequences of SMCs may help to improve well-being.

scholarly journals Prospective and Retrospective Memory Complaints in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Eschen ◽  
Mike Martin ◽  
Ursula Schreiter Gasser ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Retrospective Memory ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Memory Complaints

AbstractCurrent management attempts for Alzheimer's disease (AD) focus on the identification of individuals in the preclinical stage. This has led to the development of the diagnostic concept of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which applies to individuals with declining cognitive abilities but largely preserved everyday functioning. Previous findings indicate that prospective memory deficits are a sensitive marker of preclinical AD and that awareness of prospective memory failures is particularly high, based on its dependence on executive functions. Thus, the goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of subjective prospective versus retrospective memory complaints for an initial screening for MCI and their respective associations with executive functions. 71 healthy older adults, 27 MCI patients, and 9 patients with mild AD completed the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) and three executive functions tests. The healthy and the MCI group could not be distinguished by their level of subjective prospective or retrospective memory complaints, but the mild AD patients differed from the other groups by complaining more about retrospective than prospective memory failures. For the healthy older adults, the prospective memory complaints were correlated to an inhibition test, whereas they did not correlate with any of the executive function tests in the MCI patients. In contrast, in both groups the retrospective memory complaints were related to a task switching test. The findings are discussed with respect to differences between the three groups in cognitive abilities, attention to failures of, use of mnemonic aids for, and everyday demands of prospective and retrospective memory.

scholarly journals Factors that Influence the Emotional Impact of Memory Problems in Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 698-698
Author(s):  
Emily Bratlee-Whitaker ◽  
Nikki Hill ◽  
Jacqueline Mogle ◽  
Rachel Wion ◽  
Caroline Madrigal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
Affective Symptoms

Abstract Older adults’ experiences with memory problems may be an important indicator of current and future well-being; however, these experiences and their impacts are poorly characterized, particularly in those with co-occurring affective symptoms. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine how the experience of memory problems influences emotional well-being in older adults without dementia, and whether this differs based on cognitive status and current depressive symptoms or anxiety symptoms. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously, analyzed separately, and then integrated to determine how participants’ experiences differed. Community-dwelling older adults (n=49, Mage = 74.5, 63% female) without severe cognitive impairment completed study questionnaires and two individual, semi-structured interviews. Five themes were identified that described the influence of memory problems on emotional well-being: Evoking Emotions, Fearing Future, Undermining Self, Normalizing Problems, and Adjusting Thinking. The extent to which memory problems impacted emotional well-being depended on multiple factors including current affective symptoms (primarily anxiety), characteristics of the experience (such as judgments of its importance), as well as personal experience with dementia. Notably, there were no thematic differences in the emotional impact of memory problems between older adults with normal cognition and those with evidence of mild cognitive impairment. Our findings suggest that thorough assessment of reports of memory problems, regardless of cognitive testing outcomes, should consider co-occurring subsyndromal affective disorders as well as older adults’ evaluations of how memory problems influence their daily lives and well-being.

scholarly journals Psychiatric Disorders and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Veterans With Subjective Memory Complaints

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 295-295
Author(s):  
Mia Delgadillo ◽  
Megan Frank ◽  
Aidan Boese ◽  
Tilman Schulte ◽  
J Kaci Fairchild
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Complaints

Abstract Psychiatric disorders pose a unique risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Prior research indicates psychiatric disorders in MCI increase AD vulnerability. Less research has been done to understand how psychiatric disorders may affect the development of MCI. Understanding these potentially modifiable risk factors is important as they may represent a potential target of intervention for secondary prevention of AD. The present study examines the relationship between psychiatric disorders and amnestic MCI (aMCI) in a sample of Veterans with subjective memory complaints. The sample included 150 older adults with subjective memory complaints (90% male, age = 70.6±8.2). aMCI diagnosis was based upon performance on the delayed recall trials of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Logical Memory II of the Wechsler Memory Scale-4th edition. Psychiatric disorders (e.g., Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and Substance Use Disorders) were assessed using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview for DSM-IV. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated that diagnosis of anxiety disorders, but not mood or substance use disorders, was significantly associated with aMCI status. Specifically, older adults with an anxiety disorder were less likely to have aMCI than those older adults without an anxiety disorder. Additional analyses revealed that within those with aMCI (n=107), persons with a psychiatric disorder were significantly younger than those without a psychiatric disorder by an average of 6 years. These findings support prior research on the complex relationship of anxiety and cognitive impairment as well as suggest that those with psychiatric disorders may be at risk for developing aMCI at younger ages.

scholarly journals EVALUATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SLEEP AND MEMORY IN OLDER VETERANS WITH PTSD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S269-S269
Author(s):  
Katherine S Hall ◽  
Miriam C Morey ◽  
Hayden Bosworth ◽  
Jean Beckham ◽  
Michelle Pebole
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Sleep Parameters

Abstract Sleep disturbances are core symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and recent studies also suggest a link between PTSD and cognitive impairment. There is some evidence of an association between sleep disturbances and cognitive abilities, such as memory, though few studies have focused on older adults and fewer still among those with mental health conditions. This study examined the association between subjective memory complaints and sleep (quality and quantity) in older veterans with PTSD. Fifty-four veterans with PTSD (M age=67.4, 85.2% African American, 90.7% men) participated in the study. Sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) and the PSQI Addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A). Memory was assessed using the Frequency of Forgetting Scale (FOF) derived from the Memory Functioning Questionnaire. The relationship between sleep quality parameters and FOF were examined using bivariate correlations and independent samples t test. Over 60% of participants met military-specific criteria for poor sleep (PSQI≥10; PSQI-A&gt;5). Overall sleep quality on the PSQI-A was significantly associated with worse memory (r=-0.38, p&lt;.01). Among specific sleep parameters (e.g., sleep latency, sleep duration), greater daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness was significantly associated with worse memory (r=-0.44, p&lt;.01). Between-group analyses comparing memory complaints across participants classified as ‘poor’ versus ‘good’ sleepers on the PSQI-A approached significance (t(52)=1.93, p=.06). This study suggests that poor sleep may be a correlate of memory complaints among older adults with PTSD. Future studies are needed to determine whether poor sleep is an underlying factor in the link between PTSD and cognitive impairment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document