title: Memory Complaints in Older Adults: Prognostic Value and Stability in Reporting over Time.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints in 156 cognitively intact community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 83 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were assessed for subjective memory complaints, cognitive performance, functional status, and mood at annual evaluations with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjective memory complaint at entry (n=24) was not associated with impaired memory performance and did not predict memory decline or progression to incipient dementia. Memory complaints were inconsistent across examinations for 62% of participants who reported memory problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Memory complaints by older adults are inconsistent over time. Memory complaint's value as a research criterion for selecting people at risk for dementia is weak among community dwelling older adults. Age, length of follow-up, and other population characteristics may affect the implication of self-reported memory problems.
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Diane B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Howieson
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mattek
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA ; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Hiroko H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erten-Lyons
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zitzelberger
authors.affiliation: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA ; Oregon Center for Aging and Technology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaye
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cognitive aging; dementia; memory complaint; mild cognitive impairment; preclinical dementia; subjective memory complaints