title: Extended retention intervals can help to bridge the gap between subjective and objective memory impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite their excellent clinical validity, objective measures of memory often do not reflect self-perceived memory impairment. This discordance has mostly been attributed to depressed mood. Alternatively, a lack of ecological validity due to the rather short standard retention intervals of 20-60 min may be responsible for this discordance. Therefore, we explored the value of extended retention intervals in regard to subjective memory deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our prospective study was based on 73 patients with epilepsy. In addition to the standard 30-min retention interval of a verbal learning and memory test (VLMT) patients were randomized to either a free delayed recall after 1 week or after 4 weeks. Mood was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four patients (60%) reported self-perceived memory deficits, whereas objective verbal memory impairment was present in 26 patients (36%). Concordance between subjective and objective memory performance was observed in 53% of the patients. Multivariate analyses identified memory performance after 4 weeks and self-rated mood as determinants of subjective memory impairment. Self-perceived memory impairment correlated with the number of remembered words after 4 weeks (r = -0.361, p = 0.030) and the BDI total score (r = 0.332, p = 0.004) but neither with recall performance after 30 min nor after 1 week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective memory appears to follow a different time scale than routine memory testing. Thus, the introduction of longer retention intervals may enhance the ecological validity of standard memory tests. Furthermore, the findings again underscore that controlling for mood is mandatory when dealing with subjective memory complaints.
authors: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. juri-alexander.witt@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors: Juri-Alexander
authors: JA
authors: Witt
authors: Carina
authors: C
authors: Glöckner
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Helmstaedter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult