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Disagreement between self- and informant-reported memory complaints and progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia
Patrícia Regueira, Inês Baldeiras, Marisa Lima, Miguel Tábuas‐Pereira, Diana Duro, Anuschka Silva‐Spínola, Joaquim Cerejeira, Isabel Santana. Aging & Mental Health, 2025-08-26
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To evaluate whether discrepancy between patient and informant reports of memory deficits can be used as a proxy of impaired awareness of memory function in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and to determine its prognostic value in conversion to dementia.Method We conducted a longitudinal study including 128 older adults with memory complaints, diagnosed with MCI. At baseline, participants were assessed for central Alzheimer’s Disease biomarkers, memory complaints (Subjective Memory Complaints scale, SMC) and cognition (MMSE). Participants were followed annually (mean follow-up time 43.3 months) to detect progression to dementia, defined by clinical assessment and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale.Results Self- and informant-reported SMC scores were used to create the variable ‘SMC discrepancy’, classifying participants as underreporters, overreporters and congruent reporters. Underreporters showed lower cognitive performance (p = 0.021), which did not translate into higher self-report SMC (p = 0.092). They had the highest informant-reported SMC (p < 0.001) and greater amyloid (p = 0.020), tau (p = 0.005) and p-tau (p = 0.034) burden. Underreporting of memory deficits was associated with a 4.31-fold increased risk of conversion to dementia (p = 0.001).Conclusion Patients’ underreporting of memory deficits independently predicted disease progression. Informant-based reports were consistent with changes in AD biomarkers, suggesting that patients’ underreporting was due to impaired awareness of memory deficits.
Key findings
- Participants were followed annually (mean follow-up time 43.3 months) to detect progression to dementia, defined by clinical assessment and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale.Results Self- and informant-reported SMC scores were used to create the variable ‘SMC discrepancy’, classifying participants as underreporters, overreporters and congruent reporters.
- Underreporting of memory deficits was associated with a 4.31-fold increased risk of conversion to dementia (p = 0.001).Conclusion Patients’ underreporting of memory deficits independently predicted disease progression.
- Informant-based reports were consistent with changes in AD biomarkers, suggesting that patients’ underreporting was due to impaired awareness of memory deficits.
Why it matters
In this longitudinal study of 128 older adults with MCI, underreporting of memory deficits compared with informant reports was associated with a 4.31-fold increased risk of conversion to dementia. The findings suggest that disagreement between self- and informant-reported memory complaints can help predict disease progression, but no treatment was tested.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging & Mental Health) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Aging & Mental Health: journal h-index 153 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Isabel Santana: h-index 65 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Coimbra: institution h-index 515 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40857141) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Regueira, P., Baldeiras, I., Lima, M., Tábuas‐Pereira, M., Duro, D., Silva‐Spínola, A., et al. (2025). Disagreement between self- and informant-reported memory complaints and progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Aging & Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2552425
Vancouver
Regueira P, Baldeiras I, Lima M, Tábuas‐Pereira M, Duro D, Silva‐Spínola A, et al. Disagreement between self- and informant-reported memory complaints and progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Aging & Mental Health. 2025. doi:10.1080/13607863.2025.2552425. PMID: 40857141.
BibTeX
@article{regueira2025-40857141,
author = {Regueira, Patrícia and Baldeiras, Inês and Lima, Marisa and Tábuas‐Pereira, Miguel and Duro, Diana and Silva‐Spínola, Anuschka and Cerejeira, Joaquim and Santana, Isabel},
title = {{Disagreement between self- and informant-reported memory complaints and progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia}},
journal = {Aging \& Mental Health},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/13607863.2025.2552425},
pmid = {40857141},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2552425}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.