Relatives or patients: who better detect the memory impairment?

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2010

Publication Title

Alzheimer's and Dementia

ISSN

1552-5260

Abstract

Background: Besides age, other factors have been studied as candidates for predictors of cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of subjective memory complaints with positive screening on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) in outpatient elders.

Methods: The Mini Mental State Examination was applied to 618 outpatient elders awaiting non-memory related consultations, in three medical specialties (Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Rheumatology) in a University hospital of a major southern city of Brazil. Cognitive dysfunction was defined as MMSE 24 and education 5 years or MMSE 17 and education 4 years. Subjective memory complaints reported by patients as well as by their relatives were also recorded. We also analyzed the following characteristics: sex, age, education, medical specialty, and whether the patient was escorted by relatives at the consultation.

Results: Age, subjective memory complaints reported by patients and complaints reported by relatives, and escorted patients were associated with cognitive impairment (p ¼ 0.007, p < 001, p ¼ 0.001, p ¼ 0.001, respectively) in the univariate analysis. In the logistic regression model, only subjective memory complaint reported by relatives was associated with cognitive impairment (OR ¼ 2.7; p ¼ 0.007).

Conclusions: The memory impairment complaint reported by relatives was strongly associated with cognitive impairment in elderly patients.

Volume

6

Issue

4, Supp.

First Page

S350

Last Page

S350

Comments

Conference proceeding published as an abstract in: Da Silva E, Rodrigues G, Kochhann R, et al. Relatives or patients: who better detect the memory impairment? Alzheimer's & Dementia; 2010:6(4): S350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.1173

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