Subjective Memory Complaints, Cognitive Performance, and Psychological Factors in Healthy Older Adults. (December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Steinberg, Susanne I.; Negash, Selamawit; Sammel, Mary D.; Bogner, Hillary; Harel, Brian T.; Livney, Melissa G.; McCoubrey, Hannah; Wolk, David A.; Kling, Mitchel A.; Arnold, Steven E.
• Is Part Of: American journal of Alzheimer's disease & other dementias. Volume 28:Number 8(2013)
• Page Start: 776
• Page End: 783
• Publication Date: 2013-12
• Subjects: subjective memory complaints -- cognitive performance -- meaning-in-life -- healthy -- older adults -- personality traits; Alzheimer's disease -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Care -- United States -- Periodicals; 616.83
• DOI: 10.1177/1533317513504817
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1533-3175

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are associated with performance on objective cognitive measures and psychological factors in healthy, community-dwelling older adults. Method: The cohort was composed of adults, 65 years and older with no clinical evidence of cognitive impairment (n = 125). Participants were administered: CogState computerized neurocognitive battery, Prospective Retrospective Memory Questionnaire, personality and meaning-in-life measures. Results: SMCs were associated with poorer performance on measures of executive function (p = 0.001). SMCs were also associated with impaired delayed recall (p = 0.006) but this did not remain significant after statistical adjustment for multiple comparisons. SMCs were inversely associated with conscientiousness (p = 0.004) and directly associated with neuroticism (p < 0.001). Higher scores on SMCs were associated with higher perceived stress (p = 0.001), and ineffective coping styles (p = 0.001). Factors contributing to meaning-in-life were associated with fewer SMCs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: SMCs may reflect early, subtle cognitive changes and are associated with personality traits and meaning-in-life in healthy, older adults.