Associations Between Psychological Factors, Objective Cognition, and Subjective Memory Complaints in Older Adults
Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are commonly experienced among older adults. Memory complaints may reflect objective cognitive impairment, but SMCs have also been associated with psychological factors such as personality, depression, and loneliness. The current study examines the combined contribution of depressive symptoms, personality, and loneliness to subjective memory complaints while accounting for objective cognitive function using data from a sample of 1306 twins, aged 62-85, from the Minnesota Twin Registry. Multiple linear mixed models were conducted which revealed that while SMCs were associated with objective cognitive function, but psychological factors accounted for a greater proportion of variance in SMC than objective cognitive function alone. Among the variables, depression, neuroticism, and conscientiousness were more strongly predictive of SMCs than loneliness. These results suggest that aspects of personality, mood, and social functioning may lead to increased perception of changes in memory above and beyond actual cognitive functioning. When older adults report concerns regarding their memory, attending to their psychological health in addition to examining their cognitive functioning may help to understand and alleviate concerns about memory.