Subjective Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Objectively Normal Cognition: Mediation by Depression and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Abstract

Objective Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to self-reported memory loss despite normal cognitive function and is considered a preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of depression and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) on the association between the scoring of Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q).Methods A sample of 139 community-dwelling older adults aged 65–79 with normal cognitive function completed the SCD-Q, a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and functional/psychiatric scales. We conducted 1) a correlation analysis between SCD-Q scores and other variables and 2) a path analysis to examine the mediating effects of depression and IADL on the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q.Results CDR-SB was found to be indirectly associated with SCD-Q, with depressive symptoms mediating this relationship. However, no direct association was observed between SCD-Q and CDR-SB. Additionally, IADL was not associated with SCD-Q and did not mediate the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q. The model fit was acceptable (minimum discrepancy function by degrees of freedom divided [CMIN/DF]=1.585, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.065, comparative fit index [CFI]=0.955, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI]=0.939).Conclusion Our results suggest that SCD-Q is influenced by depressive symptoms, but not by IADL. The role of depressive symptoms as a mediator between CDR-SB and SCD-Q indicates that psychological factors may contribute to the perception of SCD. Therefore, interventions targeting depression may mitigate the concerns associated with SCD and reduce feelings of worse performance compared to others of the same age group.