Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-l4dxg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-27T04:26:35.983Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Subjective memory complaints in the elderly: Depressive symptoms and future dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

B. Schmand ,
C. Jonker ,
M. I. Geerlings  and
J. Lindeboom
B. Schmand*
Affiliation:
Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL Project), Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; and Slotervaartziekenhuis, Amsterdam
C. Jonker
Affiliation:
AMSTEL Project
M. I. Geerlings
Affiliation:
AMSTEL Project and EMGO Institute
J. Lindeboom
Affiliation:
AMSTEL Project and Department of Medical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
*
B. Schmand, Amstel Project, Vrije Universiteit, Faculteit SCW, De Boelelaan 1081 C, 1081 HVAmsterdam. The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 444 6770 Fax: +31 20 444 6775. e-mail: psbsc@slz.nl
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Population studies indicate that subjective memory complaints by elderly people are correlated with cognitive performance. These complaints have some predictive power regarding the development of dementia. The present study attempted to replicate this finding, and investigated which variables determine subjective memory complaints.

Method

Participants in the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (n=2114; 65–84 years of age), who were not demented and had a normal MMSE score (> 23) at baseline, were re-examined after four years. Subjective complaints were measured using a previously developed scale. Dementia and depression were measured using the Geriatric Mental State Schedule (GMS). Premorbid intelligence was measured by the Dutch Adult Reading Test (DART)

Results

Memory complaints at baseline contributed a small but significant amount of diagnostic information with respect to the prediction of future dementia. Depressive symptoms at baseline had no predictive value when these memory complaints were accounted for. Subjective memory complaints were associated with depression, baseline MMSE score, and premorbid intelligence.

Conclusions

Subjective memory complaints are not just secondary to depression, but in part reflect realistic self-observations of cognitive decline.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 4 , October 1997 , pp. 373 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bolla, K. L., Lindgren, K. N., Bonaccorsy, C., et al (1991) Memory complaints in older adults. Fact or fiction? Archives of Neurology, 48, 61–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Copeland, J. R. M., Kalleher, M. J., Kellett, J. M., et al (1976) A semi-structured clinical interview for the assessment of diagnosis and mental state in the elderly: The Geriatric Mental State Schedule. I: Development and reliability. Psychological Medicine, 4, 439–449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dewey, M. E. & Copeland, J. R. M. (1986) Computerised psychiatric diagnosis in the elderly: AGECAT. Journal of Microcomputer Applications, 9, 135–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fichter, M. M., Meller, L., Schoppel, H., et al (1995) Dementia and cognitive impairment in the oldest old in the community. Prevalence and comorbidity. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 621–629.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fillenbaum, G. G., George, L. K. & Blazer, D. G. (1988) Scoring nonresponse on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Psychological Medicine, 18, 1021–1025.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. & McHugh, P. R. (1975) Mini-Mental State: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.Google Scholar
Gagnon, M., Dartigues, J. F., Mazaux, J. M., et al (1994) Self-reported memory complaints and memory performance in elderly French community residents: Results of the PAQUID research program. Neuroepidemiology, 13, 145–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grut, M., Jorm, A. F., Fratiglioni, L., et al (1993) Memory complaints of elderly people in a community survey: Variation according to dementia stage and depression. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 41, 1295–1300.Google Scholar
Hänninen, T., Rainikainen, K. I., Halkila, E. L., et al (1994) Subjective memory complaints and personality traits in normal elderly subjects. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 42, 1–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hooijer, C., Dinkgreve, M., Jonker, C. et al (1992) Short screening tests for dementia in the elderly population. I. A comparison between AMTS, MMSE, MSQ and SPMSQ. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 7, 559–571.Google Scholar
Jonkar, C., Launer, L. J., Hooijar, C. et al (1996) Memory complaints and memory impairment in older individuals. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 44, 44–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Launer, L. J., Dinkgreve, M. A. H. M., Jonkar, C., et al (1993) Are age and education independent correlates of the Mini-Mental State Exam performance of community-dwelling elderly? Journal of Gerontology, 48, 271–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nalson, H. E. (ed) (1991) The revised National Adult Reading Test. Test Manual. Windsor: NFER–Nelson.Google Scholar
O'Connor, D. W., Pollitt, P. A., Roth, M., et al (1990) Memory complaints and impairment in normal, depressed and demented elderly persons identified in a community survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 224–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plotkin, D. A., Mintz, J. & Jarvik, L. F. (1985) Subjective memory complaints in geriatric depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 1103–1105.Google ScholarPubMed
Roth, M., Huppart, F. A., Tym, E., et al (1988) CAMDEX The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Schmand, B., Lindeboom, J. & van Harskamp, F. (1992) De Nederlandse Leestest voor Volwassenen. Handleiding [Dutch Adult Reading Test. Manual]. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger.Google Scholar
Schmand, B., Jonkar, C., Hooijar, C. et al (1996) Subjective memory complaints may announce dementia. Neurology, 44, 121–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Ojen, R., Hooijar, C., Bezemer, D. et al (1995) The relationship between MMSE score and depression in subjects with and without psychiatric history. British Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 311–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, R. S. & Evans, D. A. (1996) How clearly do we see our memories? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 44, 93–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.