Subjective cognitive decline and objective cognition among diverse U.S. Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA)

Abstract

Introduction: Despite increased risk of cognitive decline in Hispanics/Latinos, research on early risk markers of Alzheimer's disease in this group is lacking. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be an early risk marker of pathological aging. We investigated associations of SCD with objective cognition among a diverse sample of Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States.

Methods: SCD was measured with the Everyday Cognition Short Form (ECog-12) and cognitive performance with a standardized battery in 6125 adults aged ≥ 50 years without mild cognitive impairment or dementia (x̄_age = 63.2 years, 54.5% women). Regression models interrogated associations of SCD with objective global, memory, and executive function scores.

Results: Higher SCD was associated with lower objective global (B = -0.16, SE = 0.01), memory (B = -0.13, SE = 0.02), and executive (B = -0.13, SE = 0.02, p's < .001) function composite scores in fully adjusted models.

Discussion: Self-reported SCD, using the ECog-12, may be an indicator of concurrent objective cognition in diverse middle-aged and older community-dwelling Hispanics/Latinos.

Keywords: Hispanics; Latinos/as; cognition; cognitive complaints; depression; everyday cognition scale; latinx; memory complaints; neuropsychology; subjective cognitive decline.

FIGURE 1

Notes: Average marginal mean estimates for objective cognitive performance (and their 95% confidence intervals) as a function of subjective cognitive decline (ECog‐12). Results are from the Study of Latinos‐Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL‐INCA). Demographic adjustment incudes age, education, sex, and Hispanic/Latino background. Full covariates adjustment additionally accounts for hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, current smoking status, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale‐10, and Generalized Anxiety Disorders Scale‐7 scores. ECog‐12 = 12‐Item form of the Everyday Cognition Scale