scholarly journals The association between vascular factors and subjective memory impairment in older people: The HUNT Study, Norway

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Melbye Langballe ◽  
Kristian Tambs ◽  
Ingvild Saltvedt ◽  
Kristian Midthjell ◽  
Jostein Holmen

<p><em><strong>Objectives:</strong></em> Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is often considered an early sign of dementia. This study investigates the relationship between SMI and dementia-related vascular factors in older people.</p><p><em><strong>Method:</strong></em> This study was based on data from 12,255 individuals, 65 years and older, participating in the Nord-Trøndelag health study, third survey 2006-08 (HUNT3). SMI, vascular diseases, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption were self-reported. Blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) were clinically measured. SMI were predicted using linear regression analysis.</p><p><em><strong>Results:</strong></em> Stroke and heart disease were associated with SMI. High exercise intensity was associated with less SMI. Respondents with high systolic blood pressure (SBP) reported less SMI than those with moderate SBP. In men, low SBP was associated with significantly more SMI compared to those with moderate SBP. In women, moderate alcohol consumption compared to low alcohol consumption was associated with significantly more SMI.</p><p><em><strong>Conclusion:</strong></em> SMI was positively associated with stroke and heart disease in this study. For the other investigated vascular factors, we did not find strong relationships with SMI. However, for preventive and treatment purposes, it is noteworthy that high exercise intensity and high systolic blood pressure was associated with less SMI in both genders.</p>

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Tobiansky ◽  
R. Blizard ◽  
G. Livingston ◽  
A. Mann

SYNOPSISThe prevalence rate of subjective memory impairment (SMI) and its value as a predictor of future depression or dementia was studied in a community sample of elderly residents in one electoral ward using the short-CARE. SMI was found to be common, occurring in 25% of subjects. Subjects with SMI were more likely to be suffering from either dementia or depression than those without the complaint, although 60% of subjects with SMI did not have evidence of either disorder. When followed up over a 2-year period, subjects with SMI were found to be at four-fold greater risk of developing future dementia and two-fold greater risk of developing a depression compared with those without SMI. The SMI scale was not found to be useful as a population screen for dementia or depression, although two of the nine items might have value as screening questions in clinical circumstances to determine those with memory complaints at risk for dementia.


2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Ophélia Godin ◽  
Fabrice Crivello ◽  
Pauline Maillard ◽  
Bernard Mazoyer ◽  
...  

BackgroundComplaints about memory are common in older people but their relationship with underlying brain changes is controversial.AimsTo investigate the relationship between subjective memory impairment and previous or subsequent changes in white matter lesions and brain volumes.MethodIn a community cohort study of 1336 people without dementia, 4-year changes in brain magnetic resonance imaging measures were investigated as correlates of subjective memory impairment at baseline and follow-up.ResultsSubjective memory impairment at baseline was associated with subsequent change in hippocampal volume and at follow-up impairment was associated with previous change in hippocampal, cerebrospinal fluid and grey matter volume and with subcortical white matter lesion increases. All associations with volume changes were U-shaped with significant quadratic terms – associations between least decline and subjective memory impairment were potentially explained by lower baseline hippocampal volumes in the groups with least volume change. Associations between hippocampal volume change and subjective memory impairment at follow-up were independent of cognitive decline and depressive symptoms, they were stronger in participants with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ∊4 allele and in those without baseline subjective memory impairment.ConclusionsComplaints of poor memory by older people, particularly when new, may be a realistic subjective appraisal of recent brain changes independent of observed cognitive decline.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-381
Author(s):  
Wuhai Tao ◽  
Jinping Sun ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Wen Shao ◽  
Jing Pei ◽  
...  

Background: Subjective Memory Impairment (SMI) may tremendously increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The full understanding of the neuromechanism of SMI will shed light on the early intervention of AD. Methods: In the current study, 23 Healthy Controls (HC), 22 SMI subjects and 24 amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) subjects underwent the comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The difference in the connectivity of the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Functional Connectivity (FC) from the Region of Interest (ROI) to the whole brain were compared, respectively. Results: The results showed that HC and SMI subjects had significantly higher connectivity in the region of the precuneus area compared to aMCI subjects. However, from this region to the whole brain, SMI and aMCI subjects had significant FC decrease in the right anterior cingulum, left superior frontal and left medial superior frontal gyrus compared to HC. In addition, this FC change was significantly correlated with the cognitive function decline in participants. Conclusion: Our study indicated that SMI subjects had relatively intact DMN connectivity but impaired FC between the anterior and posterior brain. The findings suggest that long-distance FC is more vulnerable than the short ones in the people with SMI.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Sigström ◽  
Axel Nordenskjöld ◽  
Anders Juréus ◽  
Caitlin Clements ◽  
Erik Joas ◽  
...  

Background There have been reports of long-term subjective memory worsening after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Aims To study the prevalence and risk factors of long-term subjective memory worsening among patients receiving ECT in routine clinical practice. Method Patients (n = 535, of whom 277 were included in the final analysis) were recruited from eight Swedish hospitals. Participants' subjective memory impairment was assessed before ECT and a median of 73 days after ECT using the memory item from the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. Participants also rated their pre-ECT expectations and post-ECT evaluations of the effect of ECT on memory on a 7-point scale. We used ordinal regression to identify variables associated with subjective memory worsening and negative evaluations of the effect of ECT on memory. Results Comparisons of pre- and post-ECT assessments showed that subjective memory worsened in 16.2% of participants, remained unchanged in 52.3% and improved in 31.4%. By contrast, when asked to evaluate the effect of ECT on memory after treatment 54.6% reported a negative effect. Subjective memory worsening was associated with negative expectations before ECT, younger age and shorter duration of follow-up. Conclusions Although subjective memory improved more often than it worsened when assessed before and after ECT, a majority of patients reported that ECT had negative effects on their memory when retrospectively asked how ECT had affected it. This might suggest that some patients attribute pre-existing subjective memory impairment to ECT. Clinicians should be aware that negative expectations are associated with subjective worsening of memory after ECT.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1334
Author(s):  
Sławomir Kujawski ◽  
Agnieszka Kujawska ◽  
Radosław Perkowski ◽  
Joanna Androsiuk-Perkowska ◽  
Weronika Hajec ◽  
...  

Background: Prevalence of subjective memory impairment (SMC), with or without objective memory impairment, and the mediating role of depression symptom intensity was examined in older people. Methods: n = 205 subjects (60 years old and older) were examined and followed up at two years. Cognitive function was examined using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Delayed Recall (DR) subtest. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used as a screening tool for depression. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed models. Results: A total of 144 subjects (70.24%) had SMC. MoCA Delayed Recall scores were not significantly changed in relation to time and SMC. Dynamics of SMC significantly influenced changes in GDS score (p = 0.008). Conclusions: SMC and objective memory impairment do not fully overlap each other. Subjects without SMC for longer than two years noted less intensity of depression symptoms in comparison to subgroup with SMC. However, occurrence of SMC in subjects who were previously free of SMC, was not related to increase in depression symptom intensity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-278
Author(s):  
Elsa Tornhamre ◽  
Carl Johan Ekman ◽  
Åsa Hammar ◽  
Mikael Landen ◽  
Johan Lundberg ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. e4.152-e4
Author(s):  
Baba Aji ◽  
Andrew Larner

ObjectiveTo examine the diagnostic utility of the dementia screening question from the DoH Dementia CQUIN document (2012) in consecutive patients in a dedicated epilepsy clinic, individuals in whom memory complaints are common.Results100 consecutive outpatients (M:F=61:39, median age 44.5 years) were asked ‘Have you been more forgetful in the past 12 months to the extent that it has significantly affected your life?’, as advocated in the Dementia CQUIN document. There was a 48% yes response. No patient was adjudged to have dementia. Comparing the yes/no groups, there was no difference in sex ratio, age, seizure type, or use of antiepileptic drugs (monotherapy versus polytherapy). Those answering yes were more likely to be follow-up than new patients. Intergroup difference in epilepsy duration showed a trend to longer duration in the yes group. The most common examples of memory problems volunteered were forgetting to attend appointments, take medications, or switch off appliances, suggestive of attentional rather than mnestic problems.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the Dementia CQUIN screening question has very low specificity, and hence will identify many false positives, with risk of overdiagnosis of dementia in individuals with purely subjective memory impairment.


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