Memory complaints in older adults: Prognostic value and stability in reporting over time

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints in 156 cognitively intact community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 83 years. METHODS Participants were assessed for subjective memory complaints, cognitive performance, functional status, and mood at annual evaluations with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years. RESULTS Subjective memory complaint at entry (n=24) was not associated with impaired memory performance and did not predict memory decline or progression to incipient dementia. Memory complaints were inconsistent across examinations for 62% of participants who reported memory problems. CONCLUSIONS Memory complaints by older adults are inconsistent over time. Memory complaint's value as a research criterion for selecting people at risk for dementia is weak among community dwelling older adults. Age, length of follow-up, and other population characteristics may affect the implication of self-reported memory problems.