P3‐190: Endorsement of specific subjective cognitive decline items relates to elevated depressed scores in nondemented older adults
Year: 2015
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is currently one defining criterion for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, other non-cognitive symptoms, like depression, may exaggerate SCD and highlights the lack of specificity in currently used SCD questionnaires. This study qualitatively examines SCD endorsement to assess if older individuals with depressed mood report more SCD than older individuals without depressed mood. Participants included 1120 cognitively normal individuals (NC; 69±8 years, 56% female) and 250 MCI individuals (76±10 years, 52% female) from the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center participant registry. Participants completed a telephone-based cognitive screener, a 196-item SCD survey of commonly administered SCD items, and the self-report Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The presence of SCD was defined using the upper tertile of the total complaint score across all questionnaires (n=390, 70±9 years; 57% female). Depressed mood was defined by a CES-D score ≥16 (n=96). Binary logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, and education related each SCD item to depression status, using SCD endorsement and non-depressed mood as the referents. Using the entire sample, NC depressed individuals reported more SCD than non-depressed MCI elders (F(3,1172)=93.2, p<0.001). Among SCD positive participants, endorsement to questions such as “I worry about my memory or ability to pay attention“ (β=0.9 p<0.001), “Do you notice yourself repeating the same question or story?” (β=1.3, p<0.001), and “Do you talk less because of memory or word-finding difficulties?” (β=0.8, p=0.037) was related to a greater likelihood of depression. Endorsement to questions such as “Do you have difficulty recognizing familiar people?” (β=-1.8, p=0.002), “I have trouble thinking of the names of objects” (β=-0.4, p=0.046), and “Are you worse at remembering where belongings are kept?” (β=-0.8, p=0.028) related to a lower likelihood of depression. Certain SCD questions may be more sensitive to confounding by depression, such as items related to recognizing familiar people and remembering an object's name or location. This information may help refine the assessment and specificity of SCD. Funding: K12-HD043483 (KAG), NIRG-13-283276 (KAG), K24-AG046373 (ALJ), IIRG-08-88733 (ALJ), R01-AG034962 (ALJ), R01-HL111516, UL1-TR000445 (Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical & Translational Science); Vanderbilt Memory &and Alzheimer's Center.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Institution: Vanderbilt University
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2337266069