Subjective memory loss in age-associated memory impairment: Family history and neuropsychological correlates

Self-ratings of everyday memory function and performance on memory tests were examined in 61 first-degree relatives of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 41 matched controls without a family history of dementia. Subjective memory ratings were significantly related to depression scores, despite the low levels of depressive symptoms in this healthy sample. Relatives of patients with early-onset dementia had higher levels of memory complaints compared to control participants, mediated in part by higher levels of depressive symptoms among these relatives. For the sample as a whole, there was little relationship between subjective memory ratings and performance on memory tests, but among early-onset AD relatives, subjective perceptions of memory decline were associated with poorer memory performance.