Assessment of Subjective Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults

Abstract

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) refers to an individual's everyday concerns related to cognitive functioning, which can exist even in the absence of objectively assessed impairment. SCI is common among older adults, and although symptoms may be mild, SCI is associated with subsequent cognitive decline as well as significant negative effects on everyday functional ability, mood, and social engagement. Despite the potential consequences, SCI is often underreported and undetected. Thus, it is critical to consider assessing for SCI among older adults to determine cognitive impairment risk and support early intervention to promote functional well-being and health management. The current article reviews factors related to SCI, evaluates existing methods for the assessment of SCI, and proposes a person-centered framework for enhancing assessment. Application of the framework is further illustrated through the use of clinical examples.

Subjective Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: An Overview of Self-Report Measures Used Across 19 International Research Studies

“…For example, while older adults routinely face the task of recalling a loved one’s name, some have never attempted to handle financial affairs and may rely on ideas about related skills they do possess, such as basic mathematics [117]. An optimal approach may involve tailoring questions to individuals based on knowledge about their particular experiences or medical history [117]. …”

“…Specific items prompt older adults to search for explicit instances in which they experience memory problems in their daily lives, which leads to more accurate reporting. Broadly worded items, by contrast, may cause older adults to fall back upon global beliefs about their abilities and the cognitive aging process more generally [84, 117]. …”

“…To address frequency, it is essential to utilize manageable timeframes (e.g., number of times the individual misplaced car keys over the past week as opposed to the past year). To assess quality of performance, one should keep in mind that individuals will provide responses based on aggregated experience rather than specific problematic instances [117]. …”

“…Inquiring about experiences over the past month, week, or even several days is preferable to longer timeframes because these windows enable older adults to focus on concrete recent events rather than rely on beliefs about “typical” performance or the cognitive aging process as a whole [117, 118]. Commonly used longer timeframes (e.g., >1 year, 5 years) may seem face valid but could pose difficulties for older adults trying to recall specific recent events.…”

An Overview of Systematic Reviews of Ginkgo biloba Extracts for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

“…Cognitive decline is a major social problem of public health (Hugo and Ganguli, 2014; Hill et al, 2015). Cognitive decline includes mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia (Howieson, 2016; Jørgensen et al, 2016; Mormino and Papp, 2016; Ströhle and Rapp, 2016; Thomas, 2016).…”