Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Memory complaints in subjective cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Acta Neurologica Belgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Memory complaints are a frequent phenomenon in elderly individuals and can lead to opportunistic help-seeking behavior. The aim of this study was to compare different aspects of memory complaints (i.e., prospective versus retrospective complaints) in individuals with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study included a total of 115 participants (mean age: 68.82 ± 8.83 years) with SCI (n = 34), aMCI (n = 46), and mild AD (n = 35). Memory complaints were assessed using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), which consists of 16 items that describe everyday memory failure of both prospective memory (PM) and retrospective memory (RM). For aMCI and AD subjects, informants also completed an informant-rating of the PRMQ. All participants completed detailed neuropsychological tests. Results show that PM complaints were equivalent among the three groups. However, RM complaints differed. Specifically, RM complaints in aMCI were higher than SCI, but similar to AD. Informant-reported memory complaints were higher for AD than aMCI. Our study suggests that RM complaints of memory complaints may be helpful in discriminating between SCI and aMCI, but both PM and RM complaints are of limited value in differentiating aMCI from AD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stewart R (2012) Subjective cognitive impairment. Curr Opin Psychiatry 25(6):445–450. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e3283586fd8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Reisberg B, Prichep L, Mosconi L et al (2008) The pre-mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive impairment stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement 4(1 Suppl 1):S98–S108. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2007.11.017

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Glodzik-Sobanska L, Reisberg B, De Santi S, Babb JS, Pirraglia E, Rich KE, Brys M, de Leon MJ (2007) Subjective memory complaints: presence, severity and future outcome in normal older subjects. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 24(3):177–184. doi:10.1159/000105604

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Jessen F, Wiese B, Bachmann C et al (2010) Prediction of dementia by subjective memory impairment: effects of severity and temporal association with cognitive impairment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 67(4):414–422. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jonker C, Geerlings MI, Schmand B (2000) Are memory complaints predictive for dementia? A review of clinical and population-based studies. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 15(11):983–991

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Peter J, Scheef L, Abdulkadir A, Boecker H, Heneka M, Wagner M, Koppara A, Kloppel S, Jessen F (2014) Gray matter atrophy pattern in elderly with subjective memory impairment. Alzheimers Dement 10(1):99–108. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2013.05.1764

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. van Harten AC, Visser PJ, Pijnenburg YA, Teunissen CE, Blankenstein MA, Scheltens P, van der Flier WM (2013) Cerebrospinal fluid Abeta42 is the best predictor of clinical progression in patients with subjective complaints. Alzheimers Dement 9(5):481–487. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2012.08.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Visser PJ, Verhey F, Knol DL et al (2009) Prevalence and prognostic value of CSF markers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in patients with subjective cognitive impairment or mild cognitive impairment in the DESCRIPA study: a prospective cohort study. Lancet Neurol 8(7):619–627. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(09)70139-5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jessen F, Amariglio RE, van Boxtel M et al (2014) A conceptual framework for research on subjective cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement 10(6):844–852. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2014.01.001

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Petersen RC, Doody R, Kurz A, Mohs RC, Morris JC, Rabins PV et al (2001) Current concepts in mild cognitive impairment. Arch Neurol 58:1985–1992

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Smith G, Della Sala S, Logie RH, Maylor EA (2000) Prospective and retrospective memory in normal ageing and dementia: a questionnaire study. Memory 8(5):311–321. doi:10.1080/09658210050117735

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Reisberg B, Ferris SH, de Leon MJ, Crook T (1982) The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. Am J Psychiatry 139(9):1136–1139

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, revised 4th edn, DSM-IV. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  14. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan EM (1984) Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurology 34(7):939–944

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Byun EH, Kim KK (2009) Prospective and retrospective memory failures in persons with memory complaints: a questionnaire study. Dement Neurocogn Disord 8:45–52

    Google Scholar 

  16. Crawford JR, Smith G, Maylor EA, Della Sala S, Logie RH (2003) The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ): normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample. Memory 11(3):261–275. doi:10.1080/09658210244000027

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Crawford JR, Henry JD, Ward AL, Blake J (2006) The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ): latent structure, normative data and discrepancy analysis for proxy-ratings. Br J Clin Psychol 45(Pt 1):83–104. doi:10.1348/014466505x28748

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Kang YW, Na DL, Hahn SH (1997) A validity study on the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) in dementia patients. J Korean Neurol Assoc 15(2):300–308

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kim H, Na DL (1999) Normative data on the Korean version of the Boston Naming Test. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 21(1):127–133. doi:10.1076/jcen.21.1.127.942

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kang YW, Na DL (2003) Seoul neuropsychological screening battery. Human Brain Research and Consulting Co., Incheon

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kang Y, Chin JH, Na DL, Lee JH, Park JS (2000) A normative study of the Korean version of Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) in the elderly. Korean J Clin Psychol 19(2):385–392

    Google Scholar 

  22. Lee J, Kang Y, Na DL (2000) Efficiencies of stroop interference indexes in healthy older adults and dementia patients. Korean J Clin Psychol 19:807–818

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ahn HJ, Chin J, Park A, Lee BH, Suh MK, Seo SW, Na DL (2010) Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-dementia version (SNSB-D): a useful tool for assessing and monitoring cognitive impairments in dementia patients. J Korean Med Sci 25(7):1071–1076. doi:10.3346/jkms.2010.25.7.1071

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Bae JN, Cho MJ (2004) Development of the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale and its short form among elderly psychiatric patients. J Psychosom Res 57(3):297–305. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.01.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Mahoney FI, Bathel DW (1965) Function evaluation: the Bathel Index. Md State Med J 14:61–65

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kang SJ, Choi SH, Lee BH, Kwon JC, Na DL, Han SH (2002) The reliability and validity of the Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL). J Korean Neurol Assoc 20(1):8–14

    Google Scholar 

  27. Clement F, Belleville S, Gauthier S (2008) Cognitive complaint in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 14(2):222–232. doi:10.1017/s1355617708080260

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Ahmed S, Mitchell J, Arnold R, Dawson K, Nestor PJ, Hodges JR (2008) Memory complaints in mild cognitive impairment, worried well, and semantic dementia patients. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 22(3):227–235. doi:10.1097/WAD.0b013e31816bbd27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Thompson CL, Henry JD, Rendell PG, Withall A, Brodaty H (2015) How valid are subjective ratings of prospective memory in mild cognitive impairment and early dementia? Gerontology 61(3):251–257. doi:10.1159/000371347

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Mantyla T (2003) Assessing absentmindedness: prospective memory complaint and impairment in middle-aged adults. Mem Cognit 31(1):15–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Carr DB, Gray S, Baty J, Morris JC (2000) The value of informant versus individual’s complaints of memory impairment in early dementia. Neurology 55(11):1724–1726

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hsu YH, Huang CF, Tu MC, Hua MS (2014) The clinical utility of informants’ appraisals on prospective and retrospective memory in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. PLoS One 9(11):e112210. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112210

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Lam LC, Lui VW, Tam CW, Chiu HF (2005) Subjective memory complaints in Chinese subjects with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 20(9):876–882. doi:10.1002/gps.1370

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Daejeon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 64 Daeheung-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 34943, Republic of Korea

    Seon Young Ryu, Sang Bong Lee, Tae Woo Kim & Taek Jun Lee

Authors
  1. Seon Young Ryu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sang Bong Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tae Woo Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Taek Jun Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seon Young Ryu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study formal consent is not required.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ryu, S.Y., Lee, S.B., Kim, T.W. et al. Memory complaints in subjective cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neurol Belg 116, 535–541 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-016-0604-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-016-0604-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation