Subjective memory complaints, mood and MCI: a follow-up study

A group memory rehabilitation programme for people with traumatic brain injuries: the ReMemBrIn RCT

BACKGROUND

People with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) commonly report memory impairments. These are persistent, debilitating and reduce quality of life, but patients do not routinely receive memory rehabilitation after discharge from hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group memory rehabilitation programme for people with TBI.

DESIGN

Multicentre, pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial. Qualitative and health economic evaluations were also undertaken.

SETTING

Community settings in nine sites in England.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were aged 18-69 years, had undergone a TBI > 3 months prior to recruitment, reported memory problems, were able to travel to a site to attend group sessions, could communicate in English and gave informed consent.

RANDOMISATION AND BLINDING

Clusters of four to six participants were randomised to the memory rehabilitation arm or the usual-care arm on a 1 : 1 ratio. Randomisation was based on a computer-generated pseudo-random code using random permuted blocks of randomly varying size, stratified by study site. Participants and therapists were aware of the treatment allocation whereas outcome assessors were blinded.

INTERVENTIONS

In the memory rehabilitation arm 10 weekly sessions of a manualised memory rehabilitation programme were provided in addition to usual care. Participants were taught restitution strategies to retrain impaired memory functions and compensation strategies to enable them to cope with memory problems. The usual-care arm received usual care only.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes were assessed at 6 and 12 months after randomisation. Primary outcome: patient-completed Everyday Memory Questionnaire - patient version (EMQ-p) at 6 months' follow-up. Secondary outcomes: Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test - third edition (RBMT-3), General Health Questionnaire 30-item version, European Brain Injury Questionnaire, Everyday Memory Questionnaire - relative version and individual goal attainment. Costs (based on a UK NHS and Personal Social Services perspective) were collected using a service use questionnaire, with the EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version, used to derive quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). A Markov model was developed to explore cost-effectiveness at 5 and 10 years, with a 3.5% discount applied.

RESULTS

We randomised 328 participants (memory rehabilitation, n = 171; usual care, n = 157), with 129 in the memory rehabilitation arm and 122 in the usual-care arm included in the primary analysis. We found no clinically important difference on the EMQ-p between the two arms at 6 months' follow-up (adjusted difference in mean scores -2.1, 95% confidence interval -6.7 to 2.5; p = 0.37). For secondary outcomes, differences favouring the memory rehabilitation arm were observed at 6 months' follow-up for the RBMT-3 and goal attainment, but remained only for goal attainment at 12 months' follow-up. There were no differences between arms in mood or quality of life. The qualitative results suggested positive experiences of participating in the trial and of attending the groups. Participants reported that memory rehabilitation was not routinely accessible in usual care. The primary health economics outcome at 12 months found memory rehabilitation to be £26.89 cheaper than usual care but less effective, with an incremental QALY loss of 0.007. Differences in costs and effects were not statistically significant and non-parametric bootstrapping demonstrated considerable uncertainty in these findings. No safety concerns were raised and no deaths were reported.

LIMITATIONS

As a pragmatic trial, we had broad inclusion criteria and, therefore, there was considerable heterogeneity within the sample. The study was not powered to perform further subgroup analyses. Participants and therapists could not be blinded to treatment allocation.

CONCLUSIONS

The group memory rehabilitation delivered in this trial is very unlikely to lead to clinical benefits or to be a cost-effective treatment for people with TBI in the community. Future studies should examine the selection of participants who may benefit most from memory rehabilitation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN65792154.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 16. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Visuospatial/executive abilities and mood affect the reliability of a subjective memory complaints measure

BACKGROUND

Inconsistent results are reported so far in the literature on the relationship between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and objective memory performance. Mixed findings triggered the need to investigate whether other potential mediating variables, such as mood and non-memory domains, affect the relationship between SMC and memory performance.

AIMS

The present study aimed to contribute in clarifying the relation between subjective and objective memory considering the potential role of mood and visuospatial/executive functions.

METHODS

Six hundred and sixty Italian community-dwelling adults (52-91 years old) were enrolled. Italian version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA), Geriatric Depression Scale and Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ) were administered. Four subsamples were composed according to the following criteria: (a) participants with high visuospatial/executive function (VSE) score at MoCA and high mood; (b) participants with high VSE score and low mood; (c) participants with low VSE score and high mood and; (d) participants with low VSE score and low mood.

RESULTS

Preliminarily, two confirmatory factor analysis have set the one-factor structure of SMCQ as the best fitting model. Diagnostic accuracy of the SMCQ in discriminating high and low memory score was assessed. ROC analyses confirmed that a low score in executive tasks was associated with poor reliability of the SMCQ. On the contrary, well-preserved executive functions and high mood levels ensured a good reliability of SMCQ in detecting memory problems.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Although mood is a key mediator in the relationship between subjective and objective memory, preserving executive functions is essential for ensuring the accuracy of memory self-appraisal in adulthood and elderly.

Participant and informant memory-specific cognitive complaints predict future decline and incident dementia: Findings from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study

Subjective Cognitive Complaints (SCCs) may represent one of the earliest stages of preclinical dementia. The objective of the present study was to extend previous work by our group to examine the relationship between participant-reported and informant-reported memory and non-memory SCCs, cognitive decline and incident dementia, over a six-year period. Participants were 873 community dwelling older adults (M_age = 78.65, SD = 4.79) without dementia and 843 informants (close friends or family) from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Comprehensive neuropsychological testing and diagnostic assessments were carried out at baseline and biennially for six years. Linear mixed models and Cox proportional hazard models were performed to determine the association of SCCs, rate of cognitive decline and risk of incident dementia, controlling demographics and covariates of mood and personality. Participant and informant memory-specific SCCs were associated with rate of global cognitive decline; for individual cognitive domains, participant memory SCCs predicted decline for language, while informant memory SCCs predicted decline for executive function and memory. Odds of incident dementia were associated with baseline participant memory SCCs and informant memory and non-memory SCCs in partially adjusted models. In fully adjusted models, only informant SCCs were associated with increased risk of incident dementia. Self-reported memory-specific cognitive complaints are associated with decline in global cognition over 6-years and may be predictive of incident dementia, particularly if the individual is depressed or anxious and has increased neuroticism or decreased openness. Further, if and where possible, informants should be sought and asked to report on their perceptions of the individual’s memory ability and any memory-specific changes that they have noticed as these increase the index of diagnostic suspicion.

Subjective Memory Complaints in White and African American Participants

OBJECTIVE

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia but are understudied in African Americans (AAs). We compared SMC endorsement in white and AA participants and evaluated predictors of diagnostic progression.

METHODS

Initial visit variables, including SMC and memory performance, were compared within a cognitively normal race-matched sample of white and AA participants (N_total = 912; 456_{each race}) to assess the presence and predictors of SMC, the predictors of future diagnostic progression, and the change in memory performance over time.

RESULTS

More white (32.9%) than AA (24.3%) participants reported SMC (P < .01, ϕ = -.10). Subjective memory complaint was predicted by memory performance (B = -0.03, standard error [SE] = 0.013, odds ratio [OR] = .968, P < .05) and race (B = -0.99, SE = 0.080, OR = .373, P < .001). Subjective memory complaints and memory performance were associated with progression, χ² (3, n = 912) = 102.37, P < .001. African American race (-2.05 ± 0.24 SE) and SMC (-0.45 ± 0.21 SE) were associated with worse memory performance at baseline and over time, χ²(3) = 13.54, P < .01.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to previous research, our study found that SMC is associated with diagnostic progression and objective memory declines in both white and AA participants.

CSF α-synuclein correlates with CSF neurogranin in late-life depression

Purpose/aim of the study: Major depressive disorder (MDD) in late life is linked to increased risk of subsequent dementia, but it is still unclear exactly what pathophysiological mechanisms underpin this link. A potential mechanism related to elevated risk of dementia in MDD is increased levels of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a protein found in presynaptic neuronal terminals.Materials and methods: In this study, we examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of α-Syn in conjunction with biomarkers of neurodegeneration (amyloid-β 42, total and phospho tau) and synaptic dysfunction (neurogranin), and measures of memory ability, in 27 cognitively intact older individuals with MDD and 19 controls.Results: Our results show that CSF α-Syn levels did not significantly differ across depressed and control participants, but α-Syn was directly associated with neurogranin levels, and indirectly linked to poorer memory ability.Conclusions: All in all, we found that α-Syn may be implicated in the association between late life MDD and synaptic dysfunction, although further research is needed to confirm these results.

Functional cognitive disorders: a systematic review

Cognitive symptoms are common, and yet many who seek help for cognitive symptoms neither have, nor go on to develop, dementia. A proportion of these people are likely to have functional cognitive disorders, a subtype of functional neurological disorders, in which cognitive symptoms are present, associated with distress or disability, but caused by functional alterations rather than degenerative brain disease or another structural lesion. In this Review, we have systematically examined the prevalence and clinical associations of functional cognitive disorders, and related phenotypes, within the wider cognitive disorder literature. Around a quarter of patients presenting to memory clinics received diagnoses that might indicate the presence of functional cognitive disorders, which were associated with affective symptoms, negative self-evaluation, negative illness perceptions, non-progressive symptom trajectories, and linguistic and behavioural differences during clinical interactions. Those with functional cognitive disorder phenotypes are at risk of iatrogenic harm because of misdiagnosis or inaccurate prediction of future decline. Further research is imperative to improve diagnosis and identify effective treatments for functional cognitive disorders, and better understanding these phenotypes will also improve the specificity of diagnoses of prodromal degenerative brain disease.

Self-Awareness Deficits of Cognitive Impairment in Individuals With Schizophrenia. Really?

OBJECTIVE

Misestimation of cognitive functioning has been largely described in individuals with schizophrenia. There is large evidence that correlations between subjectively assessed cognitive functioning and objectively determined cognitive functioning are weak in non clinical individuals and may be more closely related to other psychoaffective or clinical factors than to objective neuropsychological functioning. Surprisingly, no study to date has compared the associations between cognitive complaint and objective measures of cognitive functioning in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. The main objective of this study was to 1) compare cognitive complaint between individuals with schizophrenia and non clinical controls, 2) explore the relationships between cognitive complaint and psychoaffective and clinical factors in the clinical group and 3) compare the relationships between subjective awareness of cognitive functioning and objective neuropsychological assessment in individuals with schizophrenia and non-clinical participants.

METHOD

In this study 30 individuals with schizophrenia and 20 non-clinical matched controls were included. In addition to objective cognitive measures and subjective cognition assessed by the Subjective Scale To Investigate Cognition In Schizophrenia, measures of psychotic symptoms, depression, and anxiety were included.

RESULTS

Schizophrenia patients reported higher cognitive complaints in comparison with controls. In individuals with schizophrenia, cognitive complaint subscores were differently associated with depression, anxiety, and negative symptoms. When depression was controlled for, the same number of correlations between self-rated measures of cognition and objective measures of cognition were found in both groups, but accuracy of self-assessment of cognition was lower in the schizophrenia group.When the schizophrenia group was divided into a high cognitive complaint group (SZ High CC) and a low cognitive complaint group (SZ Low CC), findings indicated that self-assessment of cognition in the SZ high CC was highly accurate (correlations with large effect sizes). By contrast the SZ low CC group severely misjudge their cognition.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of patients with schizophrenia can accurately estimate their cognitive skills. Self-awareness of cognitive deficits in individuals with schizophrenia is an heterogenous phenomenon and misestimation of cognitive functioning might have been overestimated, partly due to secondary psychoaffective factors. Caution is warranted before jumping to the conclusion that all individuals with schizophrenia misjudge their cognitive functioning.

[Personalized approach to the treatment of depression in the elderly]

AIM

To develop a personalized approach to the appointment of a complex antidepressant therapy in combination with drugs of neuroprotective and neurotrophic action in depressed elderly patients based on the selection of predictors of low therapeutic response (LTR).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 152 hospitalized patients, aged 60 years and older, with moderate and mild depression (ICD-10) who received monotherapy (44 people) with antidepressants of the new generation and complex therapy (108 people) with the same antidepressants in combination with neuroprotective drugs. In the monotherapy group, correlations between treatment efficacy (change in average total HAMD-17 scores) and a set of parameters, including socio-demographic data, results of psychopathological, somatic, standardized assessment and neuroimaging (CT) of the brain were analyzed. The validity of the established correlations as predictors of LTR was estimated based on a comparison of their frequency among the responders (≥50% reduction) and non-responders (<50% reduction). Comparison of the efficacy of therapy in groups of patients with mono - and complex therapy was carried out depending on the presence or absence of predictors of LTR.

RESULTS

LTR predictors are living alone, complaints about memory loss and signs of pronounced diffuse lesions of the subcortical white matter of the brain, which are significantly more frequently observed in non-responders (p<0.05). The increase in the number of predictors (2 and more) correlates with a significant decrease in therapeutic efficacy (p<0.001). Patients with complex in structure and protracted depressions tend to decrease in efficiency, and in most of them (more than 87% of cases) LTR predictors are detected. In patients with LTR predictors, the complex therapy is significantly more effective than monotherapy, allowing in all cases to achieve 50% reduction of depressive symptoms by the 4th week of treatment.

CONCLUSION

Personalized indications for the appointment of complex antidepressant therapy in combination with neuroprotective drugs in depressed elderly patients are formulated.

A Potential Association Between Retinal Changes, Subjective Memory Impairment, and Anxiety in Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease: A 27-Month Pilot Study

Introduction

The utility of subjective memory impairment (SMI) as a risk marker for preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear; however, recent studies have identified a correlation between retinal biomarkers and onset of preclinical disease. This study examines the relationship between retinal biomarkers that have been associated with cerebral amyloid, an early hallmark of AD, and SMI scores in patients at risk for developing AD.

Methods

Forty-nine cognitively normal subjects were followed over 27 months and evaluated using a combination of neuropsychological, psychological, and retinal imaging instruments. Subjective memory testing was conducted using the memory assessment clinic questionnaire (MACQ) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS). Multivariate linear analysis was conducted using STATA software.

Results

Positive correlations were found between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) volume and scores obtained from the MAC-Q at 27 months (MAC-Q_27), the DASS questionnaire for anxiety at 27 months (DASS-A_27), and the change in DASS-A over 27 months (dDASSA). There was also a significant positive correlation between these variables and the change in RNFL thickness over 27 months (dRNFL). MACQ_27, DASSA_27, and dDASS-A accounted for 35.7% of RFNL variance at 27 months and 21.5% of dRFNL variance.

Discussion

These findings suggest that worse subjective memory complaints and anxiety scores may be associated with one of the most commonly used structural anatomical retinal markers of early disease burden in AD. If so, these results lend support to SMI as a valid risk marker for later cognitive decline.

Self- and Informant-Reported Memory Complaints: Frequency and Severity in Cognitively Intact Individuals and those with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementias

BACKGROUND

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are incorporated into the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and neurodegenerative dementias; however, the relative frequency of SMCs in cognitively intact older adults and those with different types of dementia is poorly understood. Similarly, the concordance between self- versus informant-reported SMCs has not been compared across different diagnostic groups.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of self-reported (Objective 1) and informant-reported (Objective 2) SMCs in cognitively intact adults or those diagnosed with MCI or a neurodegenerative dementia. Agreement between participant and informant complaints was also evaluated (Objective 3).

METHODS

Baseline evaluation data were drawn from 488 participants (Mage = 70.49 years; Medu = 15.62 years) diagnosed as cognitively intact, non-amnestic MCI, amnestic single domain MCI, amnestic multi-domain MCI, possible/probable Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or frontotemporal dementia. Participants and their informants completed the Memory Assessment Clinic Questionnaire.

RESULTS

One-way ANCOVAs controlling for age, education, and depression revealed no group differences in severity of self-reported SMCs. In contrast, informant memory ratings followed the expected clinical pattern, with comparable and most impaired ratings given to participants with any dementia diagnosis, followed by those with any MCI diagnosis, followed by cognitively intact participants. There was inconsistent agreement between self- and informant-reported SMC ratings in any of the impaired groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Given greater diagnostic specificity and internal consistency of informant report, clinicians should weigh this information more heavily than self-report in the diagnostic process.

Depressed mood and cognitive deficits as distinct mechanisms of subjective memory and executive complaints

Background

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the sense of deterioration in cognitive functioning in terms of memory, executive function, attention, etc. SCD is reported by nearly 70% of the population. Very intensive research on the predictive role of SCD in the development of dementia and determinants SCD did not bring common solutions. For exploration of the phenomenon, studies were undertaken in order to identify: a) on the basis of which factors a high level of SCD can be predicted, and b) whether these factors have similar prognostic value for two types of SCD, i.e. concerning executive function (SED) and memory (SMD).

Participants and procedure

The study involved 274 Polish people aged 18 to 84 years (M = 53.23, SD = 16.8). For the evaluation of SCD three methods were used: memory self-assessment scales (ProCog and MARS), and an executive functions self-assessment scale (DEX-S). Subtests of the WAIS-PL to assess cognitive function were used, and GDS-15 or BECK II to assess the severity of depressive mood. In the first stage, two separate cluster analyses (k-means method) were performed: the first related to the results of the memory self-assessment scale (ProCog and MARS), the second to the subjective difficulty of executive functions (DEX-S). In step II a logistic regression analysis of the forward selection with the likelihood ratio and interaction effects was performed – separately for the two types of self-reports.

Results

The results indicate that higher depressed mood increases the likelihood of both the SMD and SED. Higher efficiency attention-al processes reduce the possibility of formulating the SED, and higher efficiency of the delayed memory, abstract thinking, or certain aspects of language functions reduces the possibility of SMD.

Conclusions

There are two independent mechanisms of SCD – emotional and cognitive.

Early versus late MCI: Improved MCI staging using a neuropsychological approach

INTRODUCTION

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) separates "early" and "late" mild cognitive impairment (MCI) based on a single memory test. We compared ADNI's MCI classifications to our neuropsychological approach, which more broadly assesses cognitive abilities.

METHODS

Three hundred thirty-six ADNI-2 participants were classified as "early" or "late" MCI. Cluster analysis was performed on neuropsychological test data, and participants were reclassified based on cluster results. These two staging approaches were compared on progression rates, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and cortical thickness profiles.

RESULTS

There was little correspondence between the two staging methods. ADNI's early MCI group included a large proportion of false-positive diagnostic errors. The reclassified neuropsychological MCI groups showed steeper survival curves and more abnormal biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel neuropsychological approach improved the staging of MCI by (1) capturing individuals at an early symptomatic stage, (2) minimizing false-positive cases, and (3) identifying a late MCI group further along the disease trajectory.

Artificially low mild cognitive impairment to normal reversion rate in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

INTRODUCTION

We examined reasons for low mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-to-cognitively normal (CN) reversion rates in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

METHODS

CN and MCI participants were identified as remaining stable, progressing, or reverting at 1-year of follow-up (Year 1). Application of ADNI's MCI criteria at Year 1 in addition to Alzheimer's disease biomarkers by group were examined.

RESULTS

The MCI-to-CN reversion rate was 3.0%. When specific components were examined, 22.5% of stable MCI participants had normal memory performance at Year 1 and their Alzheimer's disease biomarkers were consistent with the stable CN group. At Year 1, when all MCI criteria were not met, the more subjective Clinical Dementia Rating rather than objective memory measure appeared to drive continuation of the MCI diagnosis.

DISCUSSION

Results demonstrate an artificially low 1-year MCI-to-CN reversion rate in ADNI-diagnosed participants. If the Logical Memory cutoffs had been consistently applied, the reversion rate would have been at least 21.8%.

What are subjective cognitive difficulties and do they matter?

Background

subjective cognitive difficulties (SCD) have been associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. However, there is large variation in the way SCD are assessed and in their associations with cognitive functioning.

Objective

to compare the agreement of different SCD measures in identifying people with SCD and to investigate whether SCD are more strongly associated with cognitive functioning, mood, subjective age or background variables.

Methods

this cross-sectional study included 206 community-dwelling people aged ≥65. SCD were assessed with individual domain specific questions and a multiple-item scaled measure. Performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive function, and ratings of mood, subjective age and demographic information were recorded.

Results

there was some classification overlap between the five measures of SCD, however of the 64 people identified as having SCD, only one person appeared in all five measures of SCD and 34 people were classified by one measure only. There were limited associations between SCD and objective cognition, with more consistent associations with mood and subjective age.

Conclusions

the conflicting evidence regarding whether SCD are related to objective cognition and future risk of dementia may be due to different measures of SCD being employed. Careful consideration and standardisation is recommended regarding the cognitive domains and the reference groups for comparison, the response structure and the classification criteria. Longitudinal studies of SCD that include these considerations are needed to clarify the conceptual utility of SCD.

Increasing Inaccuracy of Self-Reported Subjective Cognitive Complaints Over 24 Months in Empirically Derived Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment

OBJECTIVES

Although subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) are an integral component of the diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), previous findings indicate they may not accurately reflect cognitive ability. Within the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, we investigated longitudinal change in the discrepancy between self- and informant-reported SCC across empirically derived subtypes of MCI and normal control (NC) participants.

METHODS

Data were obtained for 353 MCI participants and 122 "robust" NC participants. Participants were classified into three subtypes at baseline via cluster analysis: amnestic MCI, mixed MCI, and cluster-derived normal (CDN), a presumptive false-positive group who performed within normal limits on neuropsychological testing. SCC at baseline and two annual follow-up visits were assessed via the Everyday Cognition Questionnaire (ECog), and discrepancy scores between self- and informant-report were calculated. Analysis of change was conducted using analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

The amnestic and mixed MCI subtypes demonstrated increasing ECog discrepancy scores over time. This was driven by an increase in informant-reported SCC, which corresponded to participants' objective cognitive decline, despite stable self-reported SCC. Increasing unawareness was associated with cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer's disease biomarker positivity and progression to Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, CDN and NC groups over-reported cognitive difficulty and demonstrated normal cognition at all time points.

CONCLUSIONS

MCI participants' discrepancy scores indicate progressive underappreciation of their evolving cognitive deficits. Consistent over-reporting in the CDN and NC groups despite normal objective cognition suggests that self-reported SCC do not predict impending cognitive decline. Results demonstrate that self-reported SCC become increasingly misleading as objective cognitive impairment becomes more pronounced. (JINS, 2018, 24, 842-853).

Prevalence and correlates of subjective memory complaints in Vietnamese adults

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.

Memory-related subjective cognitive symptoms in the adult population: prevalence and associated factors - results of the LIFE-Adult-Study

Background

Subjectively perceived memory problems (memory-related Subjective Cognitive Symptoms/SCS) can be an indicator of a pre-prodromal or prodromal stage of a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. We therefore sought to provide detailed empirical information on memory-related SCS in the dementia-free adult population including information on prevalence rates, associated factors and others.

Methods

We studied 8834 participants (40–79 years) of the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study. Weighted prevalence rates with confidence intervals (95%-CI) were calculated. Associations of memory-related SCS with participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidity, and cognitive performance (Verbal Fluency Test Animals, Trail-Making-Test, CERAD Wordlist tests) were analyzed.

Results

Prevalence of total memory-related SCS was 53.0% (95%-CI = 51.9–54.0): 26.0% (95%-CI = 25.1–27.0) of the population had a subtype without related concerns, 23.6% (95%-CI = 22.7–24.5) a subtype with some related concerns, and 3.3% (95%-CI = 2.9–3.7) a subtype with strong related concerns. Report of memory-related SCS was unrelated to participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical comorbidity (except history of stroke), depressive symptomatology, and anxiety. Adults with and without memory-related SCS showed no significant difference in cognitive performance. About one fifth (18.1%) of the participants with memory-related SCS stated that they did consult/want to consult a physician because of their experienced memory problems.

Conclusions

Memory-related SCS are very common and unspecific in the non-demented adult population aged 40–79 years. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of this population has concerns related to experienced memory problems and/or seeks help. Already available information on additional features associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia in people with SCS may help clinicians to decide who should be monitored more closely.

What is the Relationship between Health, Mood, and Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often co-exists with mood problems, and both cognitive functioning and mood are known to be linked with health. This study aims to investigate how health, mood, and cognitive impairment interact. Health is often assessed using a single proxy measure, but the use of a range of measures can provide a more informative picture and allows for combination into a comprehensive measure of health. We report an analysis of data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study Wales (CFAS Wales, N = 3,173), in which structured interviews with older people captured measures of cognition, mood, and health. Each measure of health was assessed independently in relation to cognition and mood, and then all measures were combined to form a latent health variable and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM confirmed the association between health and cognition, with depression acting as a mediator. All measures of health were individually associated with levels of anxiety and depression. Participants reporting mood problems were less likely to engage in physical activity and more likely to report poor or fair health, have more comorbid health conditions, use more services, and experience difficulties with instrumental activities of daily living. Perceived health was associated with cognitive status; participants with MCI were more likely to report fair or poor health than participants who were cognitively unimpaired. Careful intervention and encouragement to maintain healthy lifestyles as people age could help to reduce the risk of both mood problems and cognitive decline.

Using Neuropsychological Process Scores to Identify Subtle Cognitive Decline and Predict Progression to Mild Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND

We previously operationally-defined subtle cognitive decline (SCD) in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) using total scores on neuropsychological (NP) tests. NP process scores (i.e., provide information about how a total NP score was achieved) may be a useful tool for identifying early cognitive inefficiencies prior to objective impairment seen in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to integrate process scores into the SCD definition to identify stages of SCD and improve early detection of those at risk for decline.

METHODS

Cognitively "normal" participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were classified as "early" SCD (E-SCD; >1 SD below norm-adjusted mean on 2 process scores or on 1 process score plus 1 NP total score), "late" SCD (L-SCD; existing SCD criteria of >1 SD below norm-adjusted mean on 2 NP total scores in different domains), or "no SCD" (NC). Process scores considered in the SCD criteria were word-list intrusion errors, retroactive interference, and learning slope. Cerebrospinal fluid AD biomarkers were used to examine pathologic burden across groups.

RESULTS

E-SCD and L-SCD progressed to MCI 2.5-3.4 times faster than the NC group. Survival curves for E-SCD and L-SCD converged at 7-8 years after baseline. The combined (E-SCD+L-SCD) group had improved sensitivity to detect progression to MCI relative to L-SCD only. AD biomarker positivity increased across NC, SCD, and MCI groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Process scores can be integrated into the SCD criteria to allow for increased sensitivity and earlier identification of cognitively normal older adults at risk for decline prior to frank impairment on NP total scores.

Symptoms of depression in a large healthy population cohort are related to subjective memory complaints and memory performance in negative contexts

BACKGROUND

Decades of research have investigated the impact of clinical depression on memory, which has revealed biases and in some cases impairments. However, little is understood about the effects of subclinical symptoms of depression on memory performance in the general population.

METHODS

Here we report the effects of symptoms of depression on memory problems in a large population-derived cohort (N = 2544), 87% of whom reported at least one symptom of depression. Specifically, we investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on subjective memory complaints, objective memory performance on a standard neuropsychological task and, in a subsample (n = 288), objective memory in affective contexts.

RESULTS

There was a dissociation between subjective and objective memory performance, with depressive symptoms showing a robust relationship with self-reports of memory complaints, even after adjusting for age, sex, general cognitive ability and symptoms of anxiety, but not with performance on the standardised measure of verbal memory. Contrary to our expectations, hippocampal volume (assessed in a subsample, n = 592) did not account for significant variance in subjective memory, objective memory or depressive symptoms. Nonetheless, depressive symptoms were related to poorer memory for pictures presented in negative contexts, even after adjusting for memory for pictures in neutral contexts.

CONCLUSIONS

Thus the symptoms of depression, associated with subjective memory complaints, appear better assessed by memory performance in affective contexts, rather than standardised memory measures. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the impact of depressive symptoms on memory functioning in the general population.

Strengthening of Existing Episodic Memories Through Non-invasive Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints

Episodic memory is critical to daily life functioning. This type of declarative memory declines with age and is the earliest cognitive function to be compromised in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Subjective memory complaints are commonly reported by older adults and have been considered a risk factor for developing AD. The possibilities for prevention of memory disorders in older adults have increased substantially in recent years. Previous studies have shown that anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied over the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) after a contextual reminder strengthened existing verbal episodic memories, conceivably through reconsolidation, in elderly people. In this study, we hypothesized that anodal tDCS applied over the left lateral PFC after a contextual reminder would improve delayed memory retrieval relative to placebo (sham) stimulation in elderly individuals with SMC. Twenty-two subjects learned a list of words. Twenty-four hour later, tDCS (anodal or placebo) was applied over the left lateral PFC after a contextual reminder. Memory retrieval was tested 48h and 30 days later. These findings showed that anodal tDCS over the left lateral PFC strengthened existing episodic memories, a behavioral effect documented by improved recognition up to 30 days, relative to placebo stimulation. This study suggests that tDCS after a contextual reminder can induce long-lasting beneficial effects by facilitating the consolidation processes and opens up the possibility to design specific non-invasive interventions aimed at preventing memory decline in this at-risk population.

Objective features of subjective cognitive decline in a United States national database

INTRODUCTION

Functional and cognitive features of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) were identified in a longitudinal database from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.

METHODS

Cognitively normal older adults with (SCD+) and without (SCD-) self-reported memory complaints (N = 3915) were compared on (1) baseline Functional Assessment Questionnaire ratings, (2) baseline scores and longitudinal rate of change estimates from nine neuropsychological tests, and (3) final clinical diagnoses.

RESULTS

SCD+ had higher baseline ratings of functional impairment, reduced episodic memory practice effects and poorer performance on neuropsychological tests of psychomotor speed and language, and higher frequencies of mild cognitive impairment and dementia diagnoses at the end of follow-up compared with the SCD-group.

DISCUSSION

Subtle clinical features of SCD identified in this large cohort are difficult to detect at the individual level. More sensitive tests are needed to identify those with SCD who are vulnerable to cognitive decline and dementia.

Motor and non-motor symptoms in old-age onset Parkinson's disease patients

Advancing age is a well-known risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). With population ageing it is expected that the total number of patients with PD onset at oldage increases. Information on the motor but particularly on non-motor phenotype of this late-onset population is lacking. We recruited 24 patients with PD onset at or over 75 years. Each patient was matched with 1 control patient with PD onset between the ages of 40 and 65 and matched for disease duration. Both groups were assessed with the UPDRS, the Non-motor symptoms scale (NMSS) and other scales to assess non-motor symptoms. Groups were compared with conditional logistic regression analysis. Old-age onset PD was, on average, 80 years at the time of PD onset while middle-age onset were 59. Disease duration was approximately 5 years in both groups. While no difference was observed in the total UPDRS-III scores, old-age onset PD was associated with higher axial symptoms (7.42 vs. 4.63, p = 0.011) and a higher frequency of dementia (7/24 vs. 0/24, p = 0.009). While no difference in the total number of non-motor symptoms was observed (6.79 vs. 6.22, p = 0.310), old-age onset patients had a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms (20/24 vs. 12/24, p = 0.037). For the same disease duration, older age onset is associated with worse axial motor dysfunction and dementia in PD patients. Beside gastrointestinal symptoms, non-motor symptoms are not associated with age.

The Effects of Cognitive Training for Elderly: Results from My Mind Project

Cognitive decline and dementia represent very important public health problems that impact the ability to maintain social function and independent living. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a nonpharmacological intervention consisting of comprehensive cognitive training in elderly people having one of three different cognitive statuses. In all, 321 elderly people with a diagnoses of mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and without cognitive decline were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental group (EG, who underwent intervention) and control group (CG), according to a prospective randomized intervention study. In the three groups, immediately after the end of the intervention, we observed a significant effect on some cognitive and noncognitive outcomes in the EGs. At the end of the intervention, we found an intermediate intervention effect on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) score of subjects with AD, as well as on functional status, as measured by using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale. A significant intervention effect was also observed on enhancement of auditory verbal short-term memory and subjective memory complaints of subjects with MCI. The group of subjects without cognitive decline obtained a significant intervention effect on subjective complaints outcomes. The obtained results demonstrated that participation in the intervention could improve performance with respect to specific cognitive functions and psychological statuses. The role of healthy lifestyle programs, such as the use of comprehensive interventions, has been shown to be efficient for enhancing memory and other abilities in aged individuals with and without cognitive decline.

Subjective Cognitive Impairment and Affective Symptoms: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE OF STUDY

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) has been argued to reflect affective symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety) rather than actual cognitive issues. Although a number of studies exist that look at the associations between SCI and affective symptoms, no review is available to aggregate this disparate literature. We addressed this gap by conducting a systematic review to better understand the relationships among SCI and affective symptoms among older adults in both community and clinical settings.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We reviewed available literature per the criteria of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Weight of evidence (WoE) ratings and narrative synthesis were completed for 58 articles.

RESULTS

A majority of studies focused on community-based samples (n = 40). Approximately half (53%) of the articles reviewed met high WoE criteria for the current review. Cross-sectional findings consistently identified a positive relationship among SCI and affective symptoms. Findings from available longitudinal studies (n = 9) were mixed but suggested a possible reciprocal relationship among SCI and depression. The relationship between SCI and anxiety appeared to be driven by fears over loss of function. Following consultation with health professionals, the association between SCI and anxiety was diminished or eliminated.

IMPLICATIONS

Although SCI is consistently related to affective symptoms in older adults cross-sectionally, more longitudinal work is needed to understand their temporal relationship. Improved measurement of SCI would support a deeper understanding of the impact of SCI on psychological well-being.

Subjective memory complaints in Italian elderly with mild cognitive impairment: implication of psychological status

Subjective cognitive and memory complaints (SMC) are common in later life and are considered an indicator for progression to cognitive decline. The aim of the present study was to identify the relationship among SMC, neuropsychiatric symptoms and psychological aspects in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as to analyse the effect on SMC of a comprehensive cognitive training. Data from a sample of 94 patients enrolled in ‘My Mind Project’ (Grant No. 154/GR-2009-1584108) were collected. The study evidenced that depression was a significant predictor of SMC and that after the training, the number of subjects with SMC was significantly reduced in the experimental group in comparison to the control one. These results suggest that the participation in cognitive stimulation protocols may improve the perception of SMC in subjects with MCI.