Subjective ratings of cognitive and emotional functioning in patients with mild cognitive impairment and patients with subjective memory complaints but normal cognitive functioning

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In a retrospective chart review, 39 patients referred for a clinical neuropsychological examination were identified as showing either mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type (MCI-A; N = 21) or subjective memory complaints but with normal memory function (SMC; N = 18). During the clinical interview, patients and informants were routinely asked to make subjective ratings regarding the patient’s cognitive and affective functioning in everyday life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these two patient groups (and their informants) significantly differed in their subjective reports about level of cognitive and affective difficulties. It was predicted that SMC patients would report higher levels of cognitive and emotional dysfunction than MCI-A patients. It was further predicted that MCI-A patients would underreport cognitive difficulties (compared to informant reports); SMC patients would demonstrate the opposite pattern. Results supported these predictions and suggest that routine assessment of subjective experiences of patients in conjunction with informant ratings may aid clinical diagnosis, particularly when the primary complaint is a decline in memory.

Publication Date

7-3-2019

Publication Title

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

ISSN

13803395

E-ISSN

1744411X

Volume

41

Issue

6

First Page

565

Last Page

575

PubMed ID

30958091

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/13803395.2019.1588229

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