Subjective Memory Complaints and Objective Memory Impairment in the Vienna‐Transdanube Aging Community

Abstract

About 94% (95% CI=69.8-99.8) of memory-impaired individuals do not complain about memory problems. Subjective memory complaints may not be a useful feature in current diagnostic criteria of mild cognitive impairment.

The link between depressive symptoms, negative cognitive bias and memory complaints in older adults

“…Consistent with previous research, depressive symptoms and negative cognitive bias were strongly correlated in older adults (Alford et al, 1995;Andrews & Brown, 1995;Beevers & Miller, 2004;Draper et al, 1998;Forsell et al, 1997;Jorm et al, 1995;Jungwirth et al, 2004;La Rue et al, 1996;Pearman & Storandt, 2004;Scocco et al, 2001). Extensive research has found strong associations between depressive symptoms and hopelessness (Alford et al, 1995;Beevers & Miller, 2004), death thoughts (Draper et al, 1998;Forsell et al, 1997;Jorm et al, 1995;Scocco et al, 2001) and low self-esteem (Andrews & Brown, 1995;Brown et al, 1986;) both individually and as part of Beck's negative cognitive triad.…”

“…A number of components influence subjective memory complaints. Researchers generally agree that memory complaints are more frequent in those who are depressed (Jorm et al, 1994;Jungwirth et al, 2004;O'Connor, Pollitt, Roth, Brook, & Reiss, 1990). Although there have been many studies that have investigated the association between depressive symptoms and subjective memory complaints, there is a paucity of studies that have evaluated the association between negative cognitive bias and subjective memory.…”

“…Older adults with intact memory who self-report memory problems often have higher rates of depression (Turvey, Schultz, Arndt, Wallace, & Herzog, 2000). Subjective memory complaints may be the presentation of depression or may co-exist with depressive symptoms (Small et al, 2001) more often than with true cognitive decline (Derouesne et al, 1999;Jungwirth et al, 2004;Pearman & Storandt, 2004). However, the processes underlying the relationship between reports of memory loss and depressive symptoms are poorly understood.…”

“…The association between depressive symptoms and subjective memory has been well established (Jungwirth et al, 2004;La Rue et al, 1996;Pearman & Storandt, 2004;Wang et al, 2004). Components of negative cognitive bias such as hopelessness and low self-esteem and have also been linked to subjective memory (Comijs, Deeg, Dik, Twisk, & Jonker, 2002;McDougall, 2004).…”

Supporting older and younger adults’ memory for recent everyday events: A prospective sampling study using SenseCam

“…However, older adults often mention day-to-day difficulties in remembering everyday events (e.g. Jungwirth, Fischer, Weissgram et al, 2004;Mol, van Boxtel, Willems & Jolles, 2006), and since older adults' community independence and quality of life may depend in part on the ability to remember typical everyday activities, this is an important form of memory that, unusually, remains largely unstudied. The present research, then, examines older and younger adults' memory for everyday events and measures the effect of retrieval support, in the form of SC photographs captured during those events.…”