Memory self-appraisal and depressive symptoms in people at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
A previous study found that subjective memory loss in middle-aged and older persons is associated with the major genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease, the apolipoprotein E-4 (APOE-4) allele. No previous study has focused on subjective memory complaints and depressive symptoms in the same subject population at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
Sixty-six persons (mean age = 64 years, range = 43 to 82 years) without major depression or dementia but with mild age-related memory complaints were rated for severity of depressive symptoms, using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and assessed for the presence of the APOE-4 allele. Severity of subjective memory loss was assessed using the Memory Functioning Questionnaire, which measures four memory domains: frequency of forgetting, seriousness of forgetting, retrospective functioning, and mnemonics usage.


RESULTS
Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with subjective memory loss in subjects without the APOE-4 allele, for retrospective functioning (perceived change in memory) and mnemonics usage, but not in APOE-4 carriers. The same significant associations were found when the analysis was limited to the 44 subjects in the mid-age range (55-74 years), wherein APOE-4 confers its greatest effects on risk for Alzheimer's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm that mild depressive symptoms are related to subjective memory loss, but for some forms of memory complaint, the relationship holds true only for people without the major known genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Small
G W
GW
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, the Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, 90024, USA. gsmall@mednet.ucla.edu
Chen
S T
ST
Komo
S
S
Ercoli
L
L
Miller
K
K
Siddarth
P
P
Kaplan
A
A
Dorsey
D
D
Lavretsky
H
H
Saxena
S
S
Bookheimer
S Y
SY
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D012307:Risk Factors; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E