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Visuospatial/executive abilities and mood affect the reliability of a subjective memory complaints measure

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Abstract

Background

Inconsistent results are reported so far in the literature on the relationship between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and objective memory performance. Mixed findings triggered the need to investigate whether other potential mediating variables, such as mood and non-memory domains, affect the relationship between SMC and memory performance.

Aims

The present study aimed to contribute in clarifying the relation between subjective and objective memory considering the potential role of mood and visuospatial/executive functions.

Methods

Six hundred and sixty Italian community-dwelling adults (52–91 years old) were enrolled. Italian version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA), Geriatric Depression Scale and Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ) were administered. Four subsamples were composed according to the following criteria: (a) participants with high visuospatial/executive function (VSE) score at MoCA and high mood; (b) participants with high VSE score and low mood; (c) participants with low VSE score and high mood and; (d) participants with low VSE score and low mood.

Results

Preliminarily, two confirmatory factor analysis have set the one-factor structure of SMCQ as the best fitting model. Diagnostic accuracy of the SMCQ in discriminating high and low memory score was assessed. ROC analyses confirmed that a low score in executive tasks was associated with poor reliability of the SMCQ. On the contrary, well-preserved executive functions and high mood levels ensured a good reliability of SMCQ in detecting memory problems.

Discussion and conclusions

Although mood is a key mediator in the relationship between subjective and objective memory, preserving executive functions is essential for ensuring the accuracy of memory self-appraisal in adulthood and elderly.

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Acknowledgements

This work is part of the PhD dissertation of the first author (GS). The last author (AB) was supported by the project “A multidimensional study for the knowledge and prevention of the risk in aging: from the autonomy to the fragility” funded by University of Bari (Grant Code 301010104).

Funding

This study was partially funded by the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” within the project “A multidimensional study for the knowledge and prevention of the risk in aging: from the autonomy to the fragility” (Grant No. 301010104).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agro-Environmental and Territorial Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Giuseppina Spano

  2. Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Crisanzio, 42, 70122, Bari, Italy

    Giuseppina Spano, Alessandro O. Caffò, Tiziana Lanciano, Antonietta Curci & Andrea Bosco

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  1. Giuseppina Spano
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  2. Alessandro O. Caffò
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  3. Tiziana Lanciano
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  4. Antonietta Curci
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  5. Andrea Bosco
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Correspondence to Giuseppina Spano.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (institutional research committee: Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro; reference number: 3660-CEL02/17) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Spano, G., Caffò, A.O., Lanciano, T. et al. Visuospatial/executive abilities and mood affect the reliability of a subjective memory complaints measure. Aging Clin Exp Res 32, 1317–1326 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01307-2

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