Implementation of subjective cognitive decline criteria in research studies

José L Molinuevo; Laura A Rabin; Rebecca Amariglio; Rachel Buckley; Bruno Dubois; Kathryn A Ellis; Michael Ewers; Harald Hampel; Stefan Klöppel; Lorena Rami; Barry Reisberg; Andrew J Saykin; Sietske Sikkes; Colette M Smart; Beth E Snitz; Reisa Sperling; Wiesje M van der Flier; Michael Wagner; Frank Jessen; Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) Working Group

doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.012

Implementation of subjective cognitive decline criteria in research studies

Alzheimers Dement. 2017 Mar;13(3):296-311. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.012. Epub 2016 Nov 5.

Authors

José L Molinuevo¹, Laura A Rabin², Rebecca Amariglio³, Rachel Buckley⁴, Bruno Dubois⁵, Kathryn A Ellis⁶, Michael Ewers⁷, Harald Hampel⁸, Stefan Klöppel⁹, Lorena Rami¹⁰, Barry Reisberg¹¹, Andrew J Saykin¹², Sietske Sikkes¹³, Colette M Smart¹⁴, Beth E Snitz¹⁵, Reisa Sperling³, Wiesje M van der Flier¹³, Michael Wagner¹⁶, Frank Jessen¹⁷; Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) Working Group

Affiliations

¹ Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona βeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jlmoli@clinic.cat.
² Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center of CUNY, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
³ Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hosptial and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hosptial and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease and Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) Pitié Salpetriere University Hospital, Sorbonne Universities, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁷ Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität LMU, Munich, Germany.
⁸ Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease and Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) Pitié Salpetriere University Hospital, Sorbonne Universities, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France; AXA Research Fund & UPMC Chair, Paris, France.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Center of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
¹⁰ Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
¹³ Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
¹⁵ Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Bonn-Cologne, Germany.
¹⁷ German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Bonn-Cologne, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.

Abstract

Introduction: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) manifesting before clinical impairment could serve as a target population for early intervention trials in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A working group, the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I), published SCD research criteria in the context of preclinical AD. To successfully apply them, a number of issues regarding assessment and implementation of SCD needed to be addressed.

Methods: Members of the SCD-I met to identify and agree on topics relevant to SCD criteria operationalization in research settings. Initial ideas and recommendations were discussed with other SCD-I working group members and modified accordingly.

Results: Topics included SCD inclusion and exclusion criteria, together with the informant's role in defining SCD presence and the impact of demographic factors.

Discussion: Recommendations for the operationalization of SCD in differing research settings, with the aim of harmonization of SCD measurement across studies are proposed, to enhance comparability and generalizability across studies.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Harmonization; Operationalization; Preclinical; SCD-I; Subjective cognitive decline (SDC).

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research / standards*
Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnosis*
Disease Progression
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests*
Severity of Illness Index

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding