The relationship between memory complaints and age in normal aging

Lima-Silva, Thaís Bento; Yassuda, Mônica Sanches

doi:10.1590/S1980-57642009DN30200005

Abstract

Normal aging can be characterized by a gradual decline in some cognitive functions, such as memory. Memory complaints are common among older adults, and may indicate depression, anxiety, or cognitive decline.

Objectives:

To investigate the association between memory complaints and age in cognitively unimpaired older adults, and the relationship between memory complaints and memory performance.

Methods:

Cognitive screening tests as well as memory complaint questionnaires validated for the Brazilian population were used: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), Memory test of 18 pictures, Forward and Backward Digit Span (WAIS-III). Fifty seven regular members of the SESC social club participated (50 women), having a mean age of 71.4 years, and 4 to 8 years of education - 34 from 4 to 7 years and 23 with 8 years of education.

Results:

Results revealed no significant association between cognitive complaints and age or cognitive performance. Older participants in this sample did not show worse performance or a higher level of complaints. There was no significant association between age and GDS scores.

Conclusions:

The studied sample constitutes a particular group of older adults whose participation in activities may be protecting them from cognitive decline, thus highlighting the impact of lifestyle on cognitive performance during the aging process.

Key words:
memory complaints; memory; age; elderly; cognition.

Resumo

O envelhecimento normal caracteriza-se por um declínio gradual em algumas funções cognitivas, como a memória. As queixas de memória são comuns entre os idosos, podendo sinalizar depressão, ansiedade, ou declínio cognitivo.

Objetivos:

Verificar a relação entre a queixa de memória e a idade no envelhecimento normal e a relação da queixa com o desempenho cognitivo.

Métodos:

Foram aplicados testes de rastreio cognitivo e escalas de queixas validados para a população idosa brasileira: Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM), Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (GDS), Questionário de Queixas de Memória (MAC-Q), Escala de freqüência de esquecimentos, Teste de memorização de 18 figuras, Dígitos ordem direta e inversa (WAIS-III). Participaram 57 freqüentadores do SESC (50 mulheres), com idade média de 71,4 anos, e escolaridade entre 4 e 8 anos, 34 com Ensino Fundamental incompleto (entre 4 e 7 anos), e 23 com Ensino Fundamental completo.

Resultados:

Não houve associação significativa entre queixa de memória, idade e desempenho cognitivo. Os participantes mais velhos não apresentaram pior desempenho ou maior número de queixas de memória. Não houve associação entre idade e GDS.

Conclusões:

A amostra estudada pode constituir um grupo particular de idosos, entre os quais as atividades desenvolvidas poderiam atuar como fator de proteção da cognição, destacando a possiblidade do estilo de vida influenciar o desempenho cognitivo durante o processo de envelhecimento.

Palavras-chave:
queixas de memória; memória; idade; idosos; cognição.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

References

¹
Sé EVG, Queroz NM, Yassuda MS. "O envelhecimento do cérebro e a memória". In: Neri AL., Yassuda MS e Cachioni M (Eds). Velhice bem-sucedida. Campinas, SP: Papirus;2004:141-162.
²
Germano-Neto J. Queixas de memória e desempenho mnemônico e cognitivo entre idosos. Tese. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, 2003.
³
Comissaris CJ, Ponds, RW, Jolles, J. Subjective forgetfulness in a normal Dutch population: possibilities for health education and other interventions. Patient Educ Couns 1998;34:25-32.
⁴
Bolla KI, Lindgren KN, Bonaccorsy C, Bleecker ML. Memory complaints in older adults. Fact or fiction? Arch Neurol 1991;48:61-64.
⁵
Riedel-Heller SG, Matschinger H, Schork A, Angermeyer MC. Do memory complaints indicate the presence of cognitive impairment? Results of a field study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1999;249:97-204.
⁶
Minett TSC, Da Silva RV, Ortiz KZ, Bertolucci PHF. Subjective memory complaints in an elderly sample: a cross sectional-study, Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008;23:49-54.
⁷
Jonker C, Launer LJ, Hooijer C, Lindeboom J. Memory complaints and memory impairment in older individuals. J Am Geriatr Soc 1996;44:144-149.
⁸
Feehan M, Knight RG, Partridge FM. Cognitive complaint and test performance in elderly patients suffering from dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 1991;6:287-293.
⁹
Jorm AF, Christensen H, Korten AE, et al. Complaints of cognitive decline in the elderly: A comparison of reports by subjects and informants in a community survey. Psychol Med 1994;24:365-374.
¹⁰
Dentone MJ, Insua AM. Memory complaints and memory deficits in healthy and depressed elderly individuals. Medicina (Buenos Aires);1997;57:535-540.
¹¹
Hanninen T, Reinikainen KJ, Helkala EL, Koivisto K, Mykkanen L, Laakso M. Subjective memory complaints and personality traits in normal elderly subjects. J Am Geriatr Soc 1994;42:1-4.
¹²
Van Oijen M, Jong FJ, Hofman A, Koudstaal PJ, Breteler MMB. Subjective memory complaints, education, and risk of Alzheimer´s disease. Alz Dement 2007;3:92-97.
¹³
Schofield PW, Marder K, Dooneief G, Jacobs D, Sano M, Stern Y. Association of subjective memory complaints with subsequent cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly individuals with baseline cognitive impairment. Am J Psychiatry 1997;154:609-615.
¹⁴
Dik MG, Jonker C, Comijs HC, et al. Memory complaints and APOE-4 accelerate cognitive decline in cognitively normal elderly Neurology 2001;57:2217-2222.
¹⁵
Palmer K, Backman L, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the preclinical phase: Population based cohort study. Br Med J 2003;326:245-250.
¹⁶
Mattos P, Lino V, Rizo L, Alfano A, Araújo C, Raggio R. Memory complaints and test performance in healthy elderly persons. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2003;61:920-924.
¹⁷
Almeida OP. Queixas de problemas com a memória e o diagnóstico de demência. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1998;56:412-418.
¹⁸
Almeida OP, Almeida SA. Confiabilidade da versão brasileira da escala de depressão em geriatria (GDS) versão reduzida. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1999;57:421-426.
¹⁹
Brucki SMD, Nitrini R, Caramelli P, Bertolucci PHF, Okamoto IH. Sugestões Para o Uso do Mini-Exame do Estado Mental. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2003;61:777-781.
²⁰
Crook TH, Feher EP, Larabee GJ. Assessment of memory complaint in age-associated memory impairment: the MAC-Q. Int Psychogeriatr 1992;4:165-175.
²¹
Guerreiro TC, Veras R, Motta LB, Veronesi AS, Schmidt S. Queixas de memória e disfunção objetiva de memória em idosos que ingressam na Oficina de Memória da UNATI/UERJ. Rev Bras Geriatr Gerontol 2006;9:7-20.
²²
Questionnaire de plainte mnésique, de Mac Nair Obtido em 30 de julho de 2007, disponível em: http://www.geocities.com/bpradines/MacNair.html
» http://www.geocities.com/bpradines/MacNair.html
²³
McNair M, Kahn R. Self-assessment of cognitive deficits. In: T. Crook, S. Ferris & R. Bartus (Eds). Assessment in geriatric psychopharmacology, New Canaan: Powey;1983:137-144.
²⁴
Carvalho FCR. Treino de memória episódica com idosos normais. Dissertação. Unicamp- Faculdade de Educação, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, 2006.
²⁵
Wechsler D. Escala de Inteligência Wechsler para Adultos, Manual para Administração e Avaliação. 1º edição, São Paulo, SP: Casa do Psicólogo;2004:123-125.
²⁶
Yassuda MS, Lasca VB, Neri AL. Meta-memória e auto-eficácia: Um estudo de Validação de Instrumentos de Pesquisa sobre Memória e Envelhecimento, Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica 2005;18:78-90.
²⁷
Grut M, Jorm AF, Fratiglioni L, Forsell Y, Vitanen M, Winblad B. Memory complaints of elderly people in a population survey: Variation according to dementia stage and depression. J Am Geriatric Soc 1993;41:1295-1300.
²⁸
Wang GH, Karp A, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Late-Life Engagement in Social and Leisure Activities Is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Dementia: A Longitudinal Study from the Kungsholmen Project. Am J Epidemiol 2002;155:1081-1087.
²⁹
Stewart R, Russ C, Richards M, Brayne C, Levestone S, Mann A. Depression, APOE genotype and subjective memory impairment. A cross-sectional study in an African-caribbean population. Psychol Med 2001;31:431-440.
³⁰
Blazer DG, Hays JC, Fillenbaun GG, Gold DT. Memory complaint as a predictor of cognitive decline: A comparison of African American and white elders. J Aging Health, 1997;9: 171-184.
³¹
Ribeiro PCC. Estilo de vida ativo no envelhecimento e sua relação com desempenho cognitivo: um estudo com idosos residentes na comunidade 2006. Dissertação. Unicamp- Faculdade de Educação, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, 2006.
³²
Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, et. al. Physical Activity and Public Health: A Recommendation From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA 1995;273:402-407.
³³
Gómez-Pinilla F, So V, Kesslak, JP. Spatial learning and physical activity contribute to the induction of fibroblast growth factor: neural substrates for increased cognition associated with exercise. Neuroscience 1998;85:53-61.
³⁴
Colcombe S, Kramer, A.F. Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Sci 2003;14:125-130.
³⁵
Schuit AJ, Feskens EJ, Launer LJ, Kromhout D. Physical activity and cognitive decline, the role of the apolipoprotein e4 allele. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:772-777.
³⁶
Pignatti F, Rozzini R, Trabucchi M. Physical activity and cognitive decline in elderly persons. Arch Int Med 2002;162:361-362.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Apr-Jun 2009

History

Received
23 Apr 2009
Accepted
20 May 2009

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

[1] ¹
Sé EVG, Queroz NM, Yassuda MS. "O envelhecimento do cérebro e a memória". In: Neri AL., Yassuda MS e Cachioni M (Eds). Velhice bem-sucedida. Campinas, SP: Papirus;2004:141-162.

[2] ²
Germano-Neto J. Queixas de memória e desempenho mnemônico e cognitivo entre idosos. Tese. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, 2003.

[3] ³
Comissaris CJ, Ponds, RW, Jolles, J. Subjective forgetfulness in a normal Dutch population: possibilities for health education and other interventions. Patient Educ Couns 1998;34:25-32.

[4] ⁴
Bolla KI, Lindgren KN, Bonaccorsy C, Bleecker ML. Memory complaints in older adults. Fact or fiction? Arch Neurol 1991;48:61-64.

[5] ⁵
Riedel-Heller SG, Matschinger H, Schork A, Angermeyer MC. Do memory complaints indicate the presence of cognitive impairment? Results of a field study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1999;249:97-204.

[6] ⁶
Minett TSC, Da Silva RV, Ortiz KZ, Bertolucci PHF. Subjective memory complaints in an elderly sample: a cross sectional-study, Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008;23:49-54.

[7] ⁷
Jonker C, Launer LJ, Hooijer C, Lindeboom J. Memory complaints and memory impairment in older individuals. J Am Geriatr Soc 1996;44:144-149.

[8] ⁸
Feehan M, Knight RG, Partridge FM. Cognitive complaint and test performance in elderly patients suffering from dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 1991;6:287-293.

[9] ⁹
Jorm AF, Christensen H, Korten AE, et al. Complaints of cognitive decline in the elderly: A comparison of reports by subjects and informants in a community survey. Psychol Med 1994;24:365-374.

[10] ¹⁰
Dentone MJ, Insua AM. Memory complaints and memory deficits in healthy and depressed elderly individuals. Medicina (Buenos Aires);1997;57:535-540.

[11] ¹¹
Hanninen T, Reinikainen KJ, Helkala EL, Koivisto K, Mykkanen L, Laakso M. Subjective memory complaints and personality traits in normal elderly subjects. J Am Geriatr Soc 1994;42:1-4.

[12] ¹²
Van Oijen M, Jong FJ, Hofman A, Koudstaal PJ, Breteler MMB. Subjective memory complaints, education, and risk of Alzheimer´s disease. Alz Dement 2007;3:92-97.

[13] ¹³
Schofield PW, Marder K, Dooneief G, Jacobs D, Sano M, Stern Y. Association of subjective memory complaints with subsequent cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly individuals with baseline cognitive impairment. Am J Psychiatry 1997;154:609-615.

[14] ¹⁴
Dik MG, Jonker C, Comijs HC, et al. Memory complaints and APOE-4 accelerate cognitive decline in cognitively normal elderly Neurology 2001;57:2217-2222.

[15] ¹⁵
Palmer K, Backman L, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the preclinical phase: Population based cohort study. Br Med J 2003;326:245-250.

[16] ¹⁶
Mattos P, Lino V, Rizo L, Alfano A, Araújo C, Raggio R. Memory complaints and test performance in healthy elderly persons. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2003;61:920-924.

[17] ¹⁷
Almeida OP. Queixas de problemas com a memória e o diagnóstico de demência. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1998;56:412-418.

[18] ¹⁸
Almeida OP, Almeida SA. Confiabilidade da versão brasileira da escala de depressão em geriatria (GDS) versão reduzida. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1999;57:421-426.

[19] ¹⁹
Brucki SMD, Nitrini R, Caramelli P, Bertolucci PHF, Okamoto IH. Sugestões Para o Uso do Mini-Exame do Estado Mental. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2003;61:777-781.

[20] ²⁰
Crook TH, Feher EP, Larabee GJ. Assessment of memory complaint in age-associated memory impairment: the MAC-Q. Int Psychogeriatr 1992;4:165-175.

[21] ²¹
Guerreiro TC, Veras R, Motta LB, Veronesi AS, Schmidt S. Queixas de memória e disfunção objetiva de memória em idosos que ingressam na Oficina de Memória da UNATI/UERJ. Rev Bras Geriatr Gerontol 2006;9:7-20.

[22] ²²
Questionnaire de plainte mnésique, de Mac Nair Obtido em 30 de julho de 2007, disponível em: http://www.geocities.com/bpradines/MacNair.html
» http://www.geocities.com/bpradines/MacNair.html

[23] ²³
McNair M, Kahn R. Self-assessment of cognitive deficits. In: T. Crook, S. Ferris & R. Bartus (Eds). Assessment in geriatric psychopharmacology, New Canaan: Powey;1983:137-144.

[24] ²⁴
Carvalho FCR. Treino de memória episódica com idosos normais. Dissertação. Unicamp- Faculdade de Educação, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, 2006.

[25] ²⁵
Wechsler D. Escala de Inteligência Wechsler para Adultos, Manual para Administração e Avaliação. 1º edição, São Paulo, SP: Casa do Psicólogo;2004:123-125.

[26] ²⁶
Yassuda MS, Lasca VB, Neri AL. Meta-memória e auto-eficácia: Um estudo de Validação de Instrumentos de Pesquisa sobre Memória e Envelhecimento, Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica 2005;18:78-90.

[27] ²⁷
Grut M, Jorm AF, Fratiglioni L, Forsell Y, Vitanen M, Winblad B. Memory complaints of elderly people in a population survey: Variation according to dementia stage and depression. J Am Geriatric Soc 1993;41:1295-1300.

[28] ²⁸
Wang GH, Karp A, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Late-Life Engagement in Social and Leisure Activities Is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Dementia: A Longitudinal Study from the Kungsholmen Project. Am J Epidemiol 2002;155:1081-1087.

[29] ²⁹
Stewart R, Russ C, Richards M, Brayne C, Levestone S, Mann A. Depression, APOE genotype and subjective memory impairment. A cross-sectional study in an African-caribbean population. Psychol Med 2001;31:431-440.

[30] ³⁰
Blazer DG, Hays JC, Fillenbaun GG, Gold DT. Memory complaint as a predictor of cognitive decline: A comparison of African American and white elders. J Aging Health, 1997;9: 171-184.

[31] ³¹
Ribeiro PCC. Estilo de vida ativo no envelhecimento e sua relação com desempenho cognitivo: um estudo com idosos residentes na comunidade 2006. Dissertação. Unicamp- Faculdade de Educação, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, 2006.

[32] ³²
Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, et. al. Physical Activity and Public Health: A Recommendation From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA 1995;273:402-407.

[33] ³³
Gómez-Pinilla F, So V, Kesslak, JP. Spatial learning and physical activity contribute to the induction of fibroblast growth factor: neural substrates for increased cognition associated with exercise. Neuroscience 1998;85:53-61.

[34] ³⁴
Colcombe S, Kramer, A.F. Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Sci 2003;14:125-130.

[35] ³⁵
Schuit AJ, Feskens EJ, Launer LJ, Kromhout D. Physical activity and cognitive decline, the role of the apolipoprotein e4 allele. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:772-777.

[36] ³⁶
Pignatti F, Rozzini R, Trabucchi M. Physical activity and cognitive decline in elderly persons. Arch Int Med 2002;162:361-362.

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