Screening for subjective cognitive decline in the elderly via subjective cognitive complaints and informant-reported questionnaires: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Subjective cognitive decline may represent at-risk persons progressing to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be exacerbated by effects of anesthesia and surgery. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the most common questions in subjective cognitive complaint and informant-reported questionnaires used in assessing cognitive impairment of elderly patients that are correlated with standardized tests for cognitive impairment screening. Methods We searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database, Emcare Nursing, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.Gov, and ICTRP between September 20, 2005 to August 31, 2020. We included studies that evaluated subjective cognitive complaints and informant-reported questions in elderly patients. Results and conclusion A total of 28,407 patients were included from 22 studies that assessed 21 subjective complaint questionnaires and nine informant-reported questionnaires. The most common subjective cognitive complaints were those assessing anterograde memory, closely followed by perceptual-motor function and executive function. The most common informant-reported questions were those assessing executive function, temporal orientation, and anterograde memory. Questions assessing learning and memory were most associated with results from standardized tests assessing cognitive impairment. Assessing learning and memory plays a key role in evaluating subjective cognitive decline in elderly patients. Delivering subjective cognitive complaints questions to elderly patient preoperatively may aid in screening for those exhibiting cognitive signs, and in turn are at risk of postoperative complications. Thus, the results from this review contribute to knowledge for healthcare professionals regarding the use of subjective cognitive complaints and informant-reported complaints in preoperative settings.

Self‐reported cognitive decline among middle and older age autistic adults

“…Though measures of subjective cognitive impairment and subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are often associated with objective tests of cognitive decline in the general population (Dardenne et al, 2017), SMCs may be an early indicator of later cognitive decline. Indeed, SMCs, even in the absence of objective memory problems, serve as a useful tool for the early identification of cognitive impairment in non‐autistic populations (Choe et al, 2018; Wasef et al, 2021). Self‐reported cognitive problems have shown predictive power in identifying future dementia of all types (Jessen et al, 2010; Rönnlund et al, 2015), though depressive symptoms, another risk factor for dementia, may be predictive of SMCs (Eramudugolla et al, 2012; Gruters et al, 2019).…”

Cognitive Effects of a Cognitive Stimulation Programme on Trained Domains in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints: Randomised Controlled Trial

“…Single-question patient assessment of SMC, as assessed in our study, is considered an efficient objective tool to discriminate patients with dementia from healthy older adults in the community [ 94 ]. If informants are asked, executive function and temporal orientation, as well as memory, should be assessed, aspects that have been noted earlier in our study [ 95 ]. Further research is needed, however, on screening cognitive assessment in primary care to strengthen the current evidence, determine use of specialists [ 96 ], and maintain a gender perspective as men and women seem to show different meta-cognitive abilities in detecting and reporting changes in their memory [ 97 ].…”

The Challenge of Subjective Cognitive Complaints and Executive Functions in Middle-Aged Adults as a Preclinical Stage of Dementia: A Systematic Review

“…The need for further research and guidelines is enhanced in the current aging population [ 1 ] and the global health situation, where the number of middle-aged people with cognitive complaints has dramatically increased [ 24 , 25 ]. The most recent work, a systematic review on the relationship between subjective cognitive complaints and informants’ reports, by Wasef et al [ 49 ] in the context of anesthesiology, provides a general description of the number of cognitive domains affected, with executive functions figuring among them.…”