Subjective memory impairment and well-being in community-dwelling older adults

Contact Information

Keywords

exercise; memory complaints; subjective memory; well-being.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between subjective memory impairment (SMI), future cognitive decline, and negative health status provides an opportunity for interventions to reduce memory complaints in high-risk groups. This study aimed to examine the relationship between SMI and indicators of well-being in older adults enrolled in an exercise trial. Additionally, the study examined whether two different modes of exercise training, aerobic walking and non-aerobic flexibility, toning, and balance, differentially influenced subjective memory across the trial. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (n = 179, mean age = 66.4 years) were randomly assigned to a walking or flexibility, toning, and balance group for 12 months. Subjective memory, happiness, perceived stress, and symptom reporting were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: A main effect of subjective memory indicated that individuals with the fewest memory complaints had lower perceived stress (P < 0.001), lower physical symptom reporting (P < 0.001), and higher happiness levels (P < 0.001) across all measurement occasions. Both main and interaction effects of time and group on SMI were not significant, suggesting SMI remained stable across the intervention and was not significantly impacted by participation in exercise training.Conclusions: SMI was not responsive to exercise interventions, and the relationship between SMI and negative well-being demonstrates a need for interventions to reduce memory complaints in high-risk groups.

Citation

Zuniga, K. E., Mackenzie, M. J., Kramer, A., & McAuley, E. (2016). Subjective memory impairment and well-being in community-dwelling older adults. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society, 16(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12112

DOI

10.1111/psyg.12112

EWB Constructs:

(2) life satisfaction; (3) positive affect

EWB Measures:

(1) Happiness: Memorial University of New foundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH):

data availability:

data availability details:

N/A

brain imaging paradigm:

N/A

brain region/circuit:

Exclusion Criteria:

N/A

Inclusion Criteria

(1) physical inactivity (<3 days a week of physical activity in the past 6 months),
(2) absence of clinical depression as classified by the five-item Geriatric Depression Scale,
(3) absence of cognitive impairment as assessed by the modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (score ≥ 51)

Non-EWB Behavioral
Measures:

(1) symptom reporting: Cohen–Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS)
(2) subjective memory impairment: Frequency of Forgetting Scale (FSF)
(3) Perceived stress: 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2136404)

First author:

Krystle E. Zuniga

species:

Human

sample size:

179

study design:

(5) RCT

longitudinal data?

Yes

younger controls?

interventions:

12-month randomized controlled trial examining the effect of aerobic training on brain health

study population:

(2) patients with (pre)clinical dementia

sex (% female):

65.36%

ethnicity (%white)

not stated (in discussion,The author mentioned that the majority of participants were white, and demographics regarding race were collected but not reported in the article, and there are no supplementary materials. None of the other two papers reporting the same clinical trials mentioned this either.)

Age (mean, sd):

66.4, 5.7

biological/Physiological Measures:

N/A