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Subjective memory complaints in an elderly sample: a cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Minett Thaís Soares Cianciarullo,
Da Silva Rosimeire Vieira,
Ortiz Karin Zazo,
Bertolucci Paulo Henrique Ferreira
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.1836
Subject(s) - geriatric depression scale , memory span , verbal fluency test , psychology , cognition , stroop effect , neuropsychological test , cross sectional study , trail making test , population , depression (economics) , verbal memory , cognitive test , audiology , fluency , psychiatry , memory impairment , neuropsychology , test (biology) , clinical psychology , medicine , working memory , depressive symptoms , paleontology , mathematics education , environmental health , macroeconomics , pathology , biology , economics
Background Community based studies show that neurological or psychiatric symptoms are very frequent among the elderly population, with poor memory complaints being the most common. However, the relationship between poor memory complaints and objective memory performance is unclear. We designed this study to evaluate whether subjective memory complaints (SMC) are associated with objective cognitive performance or depression amongst the elderly Brazilian generation. Methods A cross‐sectional study was carried out in 114 patients who were 50+, with or without SMC having no obvious cognitive impairment at its baseline (this was screened by the Mini‐Mental State Examination with cut‐off values adapted according to the subjects' educational background). Subjects were assessed regarding memory difficulty complaints, demographic data and underwent a neuropsychological assessment made up of nine cognitive tests (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Visual Reproduction Test, Logic Memory—History A, Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Stroop Test, Digit Span, Digit Symbol, Trail Making Test, fluency tests: naming animals and fruits) and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results Twenty‐one percent of the subjects had subjective memory complaints. The scores in the cognitive assessment of subjects with SMC did not differ from the scores of subjects without SMC. However, patients with subjective memory complaints had lower scores in the fluency test—category animals and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Conclusions These results support the finding from other cross‐sectional studies showing that subjective memory complaints are associated with depressive symptoms rather than objective cognitive performance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.