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Subjective memory complaints predict baseline but not future cognitive function over three years: results from the Western Australia Memory Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2018

Hamid R. Sohrabi ,
Michael Weinborn ,
Christoph Laske ,
Kristyn A. Bates ,
Daniel Christensen ,
Kevin Taddei ,
Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith ,
Belinda M. Brown ,
Samantha L. Gardener  and
Simon M. Laws
...Show all authors
Hamid R. Sohrabi*
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Michael Weinborn
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Christoph Laske
Affiliation:
Section for Dementia Research, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
Kristyn A. Bates
Affiliation:
School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Daniel Christensen
Affiliation:
Telethon Kids Institute, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Kevin Taddei
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
Belinda M. Brown
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
Samantha L. Gardener
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
Simon M. Laws
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
Georgia Martins
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
Samantha C. Burnham
Affiliation:
CSIRO Floreat, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
Romola S. Bucks
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Barry Reisberg
Affiliation:
New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Nicola T. Lautenschlager
Affiliation:
The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jonathan Foster
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia Neurosciences Unit, North Metropolitan Health Service, Health Department of Western Australia, Mount Claremont, Western Australia, Australia Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
Ralph N. Martins
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Hamid Sohrabi, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr., Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia. Phone: +61 08 6457 0266; Fax: +61 08 6457 0270. Email: h.sohrabi@ecu.edu.au.
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Abstract

Background:

This study investigated the characteristics of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and their association with current and future cognitive functions.

Methods:

A cohort of 209 community-dwelling individuals without dementia aged 47–90 years old was recruited for this 3-year study. Participants underwent neuropsychological and clinical assessments annually. Participants were divided into SMCs and non-memory complainers (NMCs) using a single question at baseline and a memory complaints questionnaire following baseline, to evaluate differential patterns of complaints. In addition, comprehensive assessment of memory complaints was undertaken to evaluate whether severity and consistency of complaints differentially predicted cognitive function.

Results:

SMC and NMC individuals were significantly different on various features of SMCs. Greater overall severity (but not consistency) of complaints was significantly associated with current and future cognitive functioning.

Conclusions:

SMC individuals present distinctive features of memory complaints as compared to NMCs. Further, the severity of complaints was a significant predictor of future cognition. However, SMC did not significantly predict change over time in this sample. These findings warrant further research into the specific features of SMCs that may portend subsequent neuropathological and cognitive changes when screening individuals at increased future risk of dementia.

Keywords

subjective memory complaintsapolipoprotein Ecognitive declinedepressionAlzheimer’s diseasedementiaMFQ
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 4: Issue Theme: Aging and Well-Being , April 2019 , pp. 513 - 525
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2018 

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