Relational memory and self-efficacy measures reveal distinct profiles of subjective memory concerns in older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Subjective memory concerns (SMCs) in healthy older adults are associated with future decline and can indicate preclinical dementia. However, SMCs may be multiply determined, and often correlate with affective or psychosocial variables rather than with performance on memory tests. Our objective was to identify sensitive and selective methods to disentangle the underlying causes of SMCs.

Method

Because preclinical dementia pathology targets the hippocampus, we hypothesized that performance on hippocampally dependent relational memory tests would correlate with SMCs. We thus administered a series of memory tasks with varying dependence on relational memory processing to 91 older adults, along with questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, and memory self-efficacy.

SUBMITTER: Lucas HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5817896 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature