Clinical Characteristics in Subjective Cognitive Decline with and without Worry: Baseline Investigation of the SILCODE Study

Guanqun Chen; Kun Yang; Wenying Du; Xiaochen Hu; Ying Han

doi:10.3233/JAD-190501

Clinical Characteristics in Subjective Cognitive Decline with and without Worry: Baseline Investigation of the SILCODE Study

J Alzheimers Dis. 2019;72(2):443-454. doi: 10.3233/JAD-190501.

Authors

Guanqun Chen^{1

2}, Kun Yang³, Wenying Du^{1

2}, Xiaochen Hu⁴, Ying Han^{1

5

6

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Evidence-based Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.
⁵ Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
⁶ Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing, China.

PMID: 31594226
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-190501

Abstract

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to the self-perception of cognitive decline among cognitively normal elderly individuals. SCD related worry confers a higher risk of developing cognitive decline. However, the clinical characteristics of SCD patients with worry are not clear.

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of SCD patients with worry.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, with 270 consecutive participants of the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline (SILCODE) study. Participants were classified as normal controls (n = 36), SCD patients without worry (n = 91), or SCD patients with worry (n = 143) and were comprehensively compared on 1) their self-perception of cognitive decline, 2) multiple cognitive domains, 3) neuropsychiatric symptoms, and 4) sleep status.

Results: SCD patients with worry had significantly more self-perception of cognitive decline (p < 0.001); increased depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001); decreased sleep quality (p < 0.001), sleep latency (p < 0.05), sleep time (p < 0.01), and sleep efficiency (p < 0.05); more sleep disorders (p < 0.05) and daytime dysfunction (p < 0.05); and a higher global score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p < 0.001) than normal controls. Although there was a significant increase only in self-perception of cognitive decline (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores (p < 0.05), the severity of the increase in those without worry was between that in SCD patients with worry and normal controls.

Conclusion: Our findings show that participants who had SCD with worry showed distinct clinical characteristics compared with normal controls and SCD patients without worry, which could be useful for understanding the higher risk in SCD patients with worry of subsequently developing Alzheimer's disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; clinical characteristic; neuropsychiatric symptoms; prevention trials; sleep disorders; subjective cognitive decline; subjective cognitive decline questionnaire.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Anxiety / etiology
Anxiety / psychology*
Apolipoproteins E / genetics
Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnostic imaging
Cognitive Dysfunction / genetics
Cognitive Dysfunction / psychology*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression / etiology
Depression / psychology
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Neuroimaging
Neuropsychological Tests
Self Concept*
Sleep
Sleep Wake Disorders / etiology
Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

Apolipoproteins E