Discrepancy Between Subjective Memory Complaints and Objective Memory Deficits in Elderly Patients with Depression Compared to Mild Cognitive Impairment

OBJECTIVE: Since depression in the elderly usually presents with memory complaints and may impair memory functions, differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment is quite difficult. This study aimed to investigate the discrepancy between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and objective memory deficits in elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHOD: The study sample consisted of 30 elderly patients with a diagnosis of MCI (according to Petersen- Mayo criteria) and 29 with a diagnosis of DSM-IV-TR MDD who were admitted to the outpatient geriatric psychiatry clinic. The control group (HC) consisted of 30 healthy elderly volunteers. Turkish versions of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), ADAS-Cog, Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered to all participants. RESULTS: The SMCQ scores of both MDD and MCI patients were higher than HC. However, there was no difference between HC and MDD groups in terms of the MMSE, the CDT and the ADAS-Cog scores. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients, subjective memory complaints do not seem to differentiate between depression and cognitive impairment. However, the discrepancy between SMC and cognitive performances suggest depression rather than a cognitive impairment. Further longitudinal studies should investigate the role of SMC in future cognitive impairment for elderly patients with depression.