A-99: Examining the Relationship Between Subjective Cognitive Complaints and Functional Reasoning Abilities

Abstract

Objective: Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are not consistently a reliable indicator of objective cognitive deficits. However, the extent to which SCCs can predict deficits in functional reasoning abilities is not as clear. Additionally, it follows that overall cognitive functioning can influence the relationship between SCCs and functional reasoning. This study examined how well SCCs predict objective functional reasoning performance and the extent to which cognitive screening performance influences this relationship. Method/Data Selection: The sample included older adults referred for neuropsychological evaluations at at a large, public, urban academic medical center (n=53; 43.4% female; 60.4% Black, 35.8% White, 3.8% Hispanic; mean age=62; mean education=12.5). Patients were included if they had all measures of interest. SCCs were measured using the Subject Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCDQ). Functional reasoning was measured using the Independent Living Scales - Health and Safety subtest (ILS). Screening of cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Multiple linear regression was conducted to evaluate predictive relationships. Results/Data Synthesis: SCDQ did not predict ILS raw scores (p=0.21, R2=0.03), and MoCA was not a significant mediator of the relationship (p=.12, R2=0.08). Conclusions: Results suggest that while cognitive functioning can be a predictor of functional reasoning, the utility of SCCs is unreliable in this sample. Further research is needed to determine if there are significant differences between patients diagnosed with neurocognitive disorders and those without.