Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T05:52:51.516Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Subjective memory complaints in elderly: relationship with health status, multimorbidity, medications, and use of services in a population-based study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2016

Montejo C. Pedro ,
Montenegro-Peña Mercedes ,
López-Higes Ramón  and
Montejo R. Borja
Montejo C. Pedro*
Affiliation:
Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, Spain
Montenegro-Peña Mercedes
Affiliation:
Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, Spain Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
López-Higes Ramón
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Montejo R. Borja
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P. Montejo Carrasco, Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Calle Montesa 22 Edificio B, 28006, Madrid, Spain. Phone: 0034 91 5886789/5814. Email: [email protected].
Get access

Abstract

Background:

This study examines the associations between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and health variables: multimorbidity, presence of certain diseases, health perceived state, difficulties seeing and hearing, pain, and use of medications and health services. Furthermore, we aim to identify risk groups based on multimorbidity and calculate the effect size for each of these relationships.

Methods:

Cross-sectional epidemiological study using a face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire. Sample size: 1,342 people aged 65 years and older taken from a random sample of the census tracts. SMC were studied using questions regarding memory complaints.

Results:

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are associated with SMC, so are impaired vision and hearing. SMC are more frequently present in people who use health services more intensively and exhibit reduced functional activity as a result of diseases. With respect to specific diseases, only cerebrovascular accidents and chronic constipation were associated with SMC. In regression analysis, predictors of SMC were vision and hearing impairment, poor self-perceived health, pain, and general practitioner visits. However, the effect size of these factors is low. The variables that indicate risk groups are number of diseases, reduced functional activity, hearing impairment, and poor self-perceived health.

Conclusions:

Memory complaints are a heterogeneous phenomenon. Our results confirm that multimorbidity, polypharmacy, greater use of health services, pain, and poor self-perceived health are associated with SMC. We identified two risk groups with a high percentage of complaints and a healthy group with a low percentage. Detecting these factors and these risk and healthy groups is useful in achieving proper patients management.

Keywords

subjective memory complaintsmemoryhealth statusmultimorbidityfunctional activitypainelderly
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 28 , Issue 11 , November 2016 , pp. 1903 - 1916
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aarts, S. et al. (2010). Multimorbidity and its relation to subjective memory complaints in a large general population of older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 23, 616–624. doi:10.1017/S1041610210002024.Google Scholar
Alonso, J. et al. (2013). Disability mediates the impact of common conditions on perceived health. PLoS ONE, 8, e65858. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065858.Google Scholar
Benton, D., Winichagoon, P., Ng, T. P., Tee, E. S. and Isabelle, M. (2012). Symposium on nutrition and cognition: towards research and application for different life stages. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 21, 104–124 Google Scholar
Bierman, A. S., Bubolz, T. A., Fisher, E. S. and Wasson, J. H. (1999). How well does a single question about health predict the financial health of medicare managed care plans? Effective Clinical Practice, 2, 56–62.Google Scholar
Brigola, A. G., Manzini, C. S. S., Oliveira, G. B. S., Ottaviani, A. C., Pacheco, M. and Carvalho, F. A. (2015). Subjective memory complaints associated with depression and cognitive impairment in the elderly: a systematic review. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 9, 51–57. doi:10.1590/S1980-57642015DN91000008.Google Scholar
Burmester, B., Leathem, J. and Merrick, P. (2015). Assessing subjective memory complaints: a comparison of spontaneous reports and structured questionnaire methods. International Psychogeriatrics, 27, 61–77. doi:10.1017/S1041610214001161.Google Scholar
Cederholm, T., Salem, N. Jr. and Palmblad, J. (2013). v-3 Fatty acids in the prevention of cognitive decline in humans. Advances in Nutrition, 4, 672–676.Google Scholar
Comijs, H. C., Deeg, D. J., Dik, M. G., Twisk, J. W. and Jonker, C. (2002). Memory complaints: the association with psycho-affective and health problems and the role of personality characteristics. A 6-year follow-up study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 72, 157–165. doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(01)00453-0.Google Scholar
Comijs, H. C., Kriegsman, D. M., Dik, M. G., Deeg, D. J., Jonker, C. and Stalman, W. A. (2009). Somatic chronic diseases and 6-year change in cognitive functioning among older persons. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 48, 191–196. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2008.01.005.Google Scholar
Crumley, J., Cinnamon, A. S., Cinnamon, A. and Horhota, M. (2014). Examining the relationship between subjective and objective memory performance in older adults: a meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 29, 250–263. doi:10.1037/a0035908.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutler, S. J. and Grams, A. E. (1988). Correlates of self-reported everyday memory problems. Journal of Gerontology, 43, S82–S90.Google Scholar
Geerlings, M. I., Jonker, C., Bouter, L. M., Ader, H. J. and Schmand, B. (1999). Association between memory complaints and incident Alzheimer's disease in elderly people with normal baseline cognition. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 531–537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruber-Baldini, A. L. Shardell, M., Lloyd, K. and Magaziner, J. (2012). Use of proxies and informants. In Newman, A. and Cauley, J. (eds.), The Epidemiology of Aging (pp. 81–91). Dordrecht, Heidelberg New York London: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5061-6.Google Scholar
Hanninen, T. et al. (1994). Subjective memory complaints and personality traits in normal elderly subjects. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 42, 1–4.Google Scholar
Hogan, A., O'Loughlin, K., Miller, P. and Kendig, H. (2009). The health impact of a hearing disability on older people in Australia. Journal of Aging and Health, 21, 1098–1111. doi:10.1177/0898264309347821.Google Scholar
Hülür, G., Hertzog, C., Pearman, A., Ram, N. and Gerstorf, D. (2014). Longitudinal associations of subjective memory with memory performance and depressive symptoms: between-person and within-person perspectives. Psychology and Aging, 29, 814–827. doi:10.1037/a0037619.Google Scholar
Jessen, M. D. et al. (2010). Cognition and dementia in primary care patients study group. Prediction of dementia by subjective memory impairment. Effects of severity and temporal association with cognitive impairment. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67, 414–422. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.30.Google Scholar
Jessen, F. et al. (2014). A conceptual framework for research on subjective cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 10, 844–852. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2014.01.001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jonker, C., Geerlings, M. and Schmand, B. (2000). Are memory complaints predictive for dementia? A review of clinical and population based studies. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15, 983–991. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6.Google Scholar
Jorm, F. et al. (2004). Memory complaints in a community sample aged 60–64 years: associations with cognitive functioning, psychiatric symptoms, medical conditions, APOE genotype, hippocampus and amygdala volumes, and white-matter hyperintensities. Psychological Medicine, 34, 1495–1506. doi:10.1017/S0033291704003162.Google Scholar
Jungwirth, S., Fischer, P., Weissgram, S., Kirchmeyr, W., Bauer, P. and Tragl, K. H. (2004). Subjective memory complaints and objective memory impairment in the Vienna-Transdanube aging community. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52, 263–268. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52066.Google Scholar
Lindenberger, U. and Baltes, P. B. (1994). Sensory functioning and intelligence in old age: a sensory connection. Psychology and Aging, 9, 339–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magaziner, J., Bassett, S., Hebel, J. R. and Gruber-Baldin, A. (1996). Use of proxies to measure health and functional status in epidemiologic studies of community-dwelling women aged 65 years and older. American Journal of Epidemiology, 143, 283–292.Google Scholar
Madrid Salud. (2005). Madrid city health survey. Available at: http://www.madridsalud.es/publicaciones/OtrasPublicaciones/encuesta-salud2005.pdf.Google Scholar
Mol, M., Carpay, M., Ramakers, I., Rozendaal, N., Verhey, F. and Jolles, J. (2007). The effect of perceived forgetfulness on quality of life in older adults; a qualitative review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 393–400. doi:10.1002/gps.1686.Google Scholar
Montejo, P., Montenegro, M., Fernández, M. A. and Maestu, F. (2011). Subjective memory complaints in the elderly: prevalence and influence of temporal orientation, depression and quality of life in a population based study in the city of Madrid. Aging & Mental Health, 15, 85–96. doi:10.1080/13607863.2010.501062.Google Scholar
Montejo, P., Montenegro, M., Fernández, M. A. and Maestu, F. (2012). Memory complaints in the elderly: quality of life and daily living activities. A population based study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 54, 298–304. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2011.05.021.Google Scholar
Montejo, P., Montenegro, P. and Fernández, M. A. (2014). Association of perceived health and depression with older adults’ subjective memory complaints: contrasting a specific questionnaire with general complaints questions. European Journal of Ageing, 11, 77–87. doi 10.1007/s10433-013-0286-4.Google ScholarPubMed
Nelson, L. M., Longstreth, W. T., Koepsell, T D., Checkoway, H. and Van Belle, G. (1994). Completeness and accuracy of interview data from proxy respondents: demographic, medical, and life-style factors. Epidemiology, 5, 204–217.Google Scholar
Pearman, A. and Storandt, M. (2004). Predictors of subjective memory in older adults. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 59, 4–6. doi:10.1093/geronb/59.1.P4.Google Scholar
Pearman, A. and Storandt, M. (2005). Self-discipline and self-consciousness predict subjective memory in older adults. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60, 153–157. doi:10.1093/geronb/59.1.P4.Google Scholar
Reid, L. M. and MacLullich, A. M. (2006). Subjective memory complaints and cognitive impairment in older people. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 22, 471–485. doi:10.1159/000096295.Google Scholar
Sachs-Ericsson, N., Joiner, T. and Blazer, D. G. (2008). The influence of lifetime depression on self-reported memory and cognitive problems: results from the national comorbidity survey-replication. Aging & Mental Health, 12, 183–192. doi:10.1080/13607860801951739.Google Scholar
Schnurr, R. F. and MacDonald, M. R. (1995). Memory complaints in chronic pain. Clinical Journal of Pain, 11, 103–111.Google Scholar
Siersma, V., Waldemar, G. and Waldorff, F. B. (2013). Subjective memory complaints in primary care patients and death from all causes: a four-year follow-up. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 31, 7–12. doi:10.3109/02813432.2012.754092.Google Scholar
Van den Kommer, T. N., Comijs, H. C., Rijs, K. J., Heymans, M. W., Van Boxtel, M. P. J. and Deeg, D. J. H. (2014). Classification models for identification of at-risk groups for incident memory complaints. International Psychogeriatrics, 26, 257–271. doi:10.1017/S1041610213001920.Google Scholar
Waldorff, F. B., Siersma, V. and Waldemar, G. (2009). Association between subjective memory complaints and health care utilization: a three-year follow up. BMC Geriatrics, 9, 43. doi:10.1186/1471-2318-9-43.Google Scholar
Westoby, C. J., Mallen, C. D. and Thomas, E. (2009). Cognitive complaints in a general population of older adults: prevalence, association with pain and the influence of concurrent affective disorders. European Journal of Pain, 13, 970–976. doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.11.011.Google Scholar