OBJECTIVE: To examine whether subjective memory complaints, measured w
ith a series of four questions, are associated with performance on cog
nitive tests. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of individuals, 65 to 85 y
ears of age, who lived in the community of Amsterdam. PARTICIPANTS: In
dividuals were selected randomly within 5-year age strata from the pat
ient lists of 30 general practitioners. Of the 4051 participants, 2537
nondepressed and nondemented respondents were included in the analysi
s. MEASURES: Four categories of subjective memory complaints were deve
loped on the basis of answers to questions about the presence or absen
ce of memory complaints and memory-related problems in daily functioni
ng. Tests of cognitive function were derived from the subscales of the
CAMCOG. MAIN RESULTS: Individuals with complaints and memory-related
problems performed more poorly on tests of memory and memory-related f
unctions. This relationship was strengthened after adjusting for age,
sex, and premorbid verbal intelligence, all of which were related to c
omplaint status and to performance on cognitive tests. CONCLUSION: Sim
ple questions about memory function are related to memory performance
in nondepressed, nondemented community-dwelling older people. Subjecti
ve memory complaints map be a promising indicator of memory impairment
that signals the need for follow-up.