Implementation of subjective cognitive decline criteria in research studies.
BACKGROUND
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) manifesting before clinical impairment could serve as a target population for early intervention trials in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A working group, the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I), published SCD research criteria in the context of preclinical AD. To successfully apply them, a number of issues regarding assessment and implementation of SCD needed to be addressed.


METHODS
Members of the SCD-I met to identify and agree on topics relevant to SCD criteria operationalization in research settings. Initial ideas and recommendations were discussed with other SCD-I working group members and modified accordingly.


RESULTS
Topics included SCD inclusion and exclusion criteria, together with the informant's role in defining SCD presence and the impact of demographic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Recommendations for the operationalization of SCD in differing research settings, with the aim of harmonization of SCD measurement across studies are proposed, to enhance comparability and generalizability across studies.
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona βeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jlmoli@clinic.cat.
José L
JL
Molinuevo
Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center of CUNY, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Laura A
LA
Rabin
Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hosptial and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Rebecca
R
Amariglio
Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hosptial and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Rachel
R
Buckley
Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease and Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) Pitié Salpetriere University Hospital, Sorbonne Universities, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France.
Bruno
B
Dubois
Department of Psychiatry, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Kathryn A
KA
Ellis
Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität LMU, Munich, Germany.
Michael
M
Ewers
Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease and Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) Pitié Salpetriere University Hospital, Sorbonne Universities, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France; AXA Research Fund & UPMC Chair, Paris, France.
Harald
H
Hampel
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Center of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Stefan
S
Klöppel
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
Lorena
L
Rami
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Barry
B
Reisberg
Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Andrew J
AJ
Saykin
Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sietske
S
Sikkes
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Colette M
CM
Smart
Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Beth E
BE
Snitz
Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hosptial and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Reisa
R
Sperling
Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Wiesje M
WM
van der Flier
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Bonn-Cologne, Germany.
Michael
M
Wagner
German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Bonn-Cologne, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.
Frank
F
Jessen
D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
Alzheimer's disease; Harmonization; Operationalization; Preclinical; SCD-I; Subjective cognitive decline (SDC)