title: Cognitive performance before and after the onset of subjective cognitive decline in old age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our objectives were (1) to test the association between the report of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and prospective objective cognitive performance in high age individuals and (2) to study the course of longitudinal cognitive performance before and after the first report of SCD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitively normal elderly participants of the German Study on Ageing, Cognition, and Dementia study (N = 2330) with SCD (subjective decline in memory with and without associated concerns) and without SCD at baseline were assessed over 8 years with regard to immediate and delayed verbal recall, verbal fluency, working memory, and global cognition. Baseline performance and cognitive trajectories were compared between groups. In addition, cognitive trajectories before and after the initial report of SCD (incident SCD) were modelled in those without SCD at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline performance in the SCD group was lower and declined more steeply in immediate and delayed verbal recall than in the control group (no SCD at baseline). This effect was more pronounced in the SCD group with concerns. Incident SCD was preceded by decline in immediate and delayed memory and word fluency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCD predicts future memory decline. Incident SCD is related to previous cognitive decline. The latter finding supports the concept of SCD indicating first subtle decline in cognitive performance that characterizes preclinical Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koppara
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.affiliation: Instiute of General Practice, WG Medical Statistics and IT-Infrastructure, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgitt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brettschneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Epidemiology and Demographic Change, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Epidemiology and Demographic Change, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Technical University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Technical University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Edelgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mösch
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentzek
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolfsgruber
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Methods, Assessment, & Evaluation, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beauducel
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jessen
keywords: Early detection; Preclinical Alzheimer's disease; Subjective cognitive decline