SUBJECTIVE MEMORY COMPLAINTS MAY ANNOUNCE DEMENTIA

Whether subjective memory complaints in the absence of objective memor y decline can predict future dementia has been investigated only in hi ghly selected clinical and volunteer cohorts. Our study examines this question in a subsample of AMSTEL (Amsterdam Study of the Elderly), a longitudinal population study on cognitive decline and dementia. Subje cts (aged 65 to 84 years; n = 357) without dementia or other psychiatr ic disorders at baseline were followed for 3 years. After this interva l, 16 of 203 re-examined patients developed a dementia. Logistic regre ssion analyses indicated that memory complaints at baseline contribute d a small but significant amount of diagnostic information. However, t he most powerful predictor of future dementia was deficient memory per formance. We conclude that subjective memory complaints may predict de mentia within 3 years, particularly when there are objective signs of memory deterioration.