Memory complaints and test performance in healthy elderly persons.
In order to compare the use of a structured self-report questionnaire with direct questioning about memory problems, 71 healthy and independent aged individuals (63 women) from the community without risk factors for cognitive deficits were objectively asked about subjective memory complaints (SMC), given the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) and then submitted to the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). SMC positively correlated with higher scores on MAC-Q, although a significant percentage of the sample had SMC and lower scores on MAC-Q and also no SMC and higher scores on MAC-Q. Performance on RAVLT was significantly worse (p<0.05) for the group presenting SMC but not for the group with higher scores on the MAC-Q. We conclude that direct questioning maybe more clinically significant than a self report questionnaire, at least for elderly persons from the community without risk factors for cognitive decline or depression.
Mattos
Paulo
P
Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. mattos@attglobal.net
Lino
Valéria
V
Rizo
Luciana
L
Alfano
Angela
A
Araújo
Cátia
C
Raggio
Ronir
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*