Subjective memory complaints and objective memory impairment in the Vienna-Transdanube aging community

OBJECTIVES: To help answer the question of whether subjective memory complaints are a useful feature in classification systems addressing early stages of Alzheimer's disease. DESIGN: A cross-sectional investigation in the context of a community-based cohort study. SETTING: Vienna, Transdanube-a geographically defined, urban, working-class area. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred two nondemented 75-year-olds were examined with regard to subjective memory complaints and objective memory performance. The patients were divided into two groups with respect to subjective memory complaints and into two groups with respect to memory performance on the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation. MEASUREMENTS: The percentage of individuals with memory complaints who also had objective memory impairment and the percentage of individuals with objective memory impairment who also complained about their memory were measured. RESULTS: One-tenth (10.6%) (95% confidence interval (CI)=7.7-14.7) of community based sample of 75-year-old subjects complained about their memory. There was no difference between complainers and noncomplainers with regard to actual memory performance. Only 6.3% (95% CI=0.16-30.2) of memory-impaired subjects complained about their proven memory impairment. CONCLUSION: About 94% (95% CI=69.8-99.8) of memory-impaired individuals do not complain about memory problems. Subjective memory complaints may not be a useful feature in current diagnostic criteria of mild cognitive impairment.