Additional evidence for the link between subjective cognitive decline and MCI or dementia comes from the BRAINS (Biologically Resilient Adults in Neurological Studies) longitudinal study. Richard J. Kryscio, Ph.D., a professor of statistics and faculty member in the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, and his colleagues looked at 531 men and women with a mean age of 73 who underwent annual cognitive assessments for a mean of 10 years.
Before each exam, the participants were asked, "Have you noticed a change in your memory since the last visit?" More than half of the participants (55.7%) said yes, reporting subjective memory complaints during the study.
The investigators found that a person with a subjective memory complaint had 2.8-fold greater risk of developing MCI or dementia later in life, compared with someone who did not respond in the affirmative.
Dr. Kryscio cautioned, however, that a positive subjective memory complaint "is no guarantee that MCI or dementia will follow."
Dr. Koppara’s study was funded by the AgeCoDe Study Group and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. The two studies authored by Dr. Amariglio and Dr. Samieri were supported by the National Institutes of Health and France’s Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale. Dr. Kryscio’s study was supported by the National Institute on Aging. The authors all reported having no relevant disclosures.