Memory Complaint Scale (MCS)
Memory Complaint Scale (MCS)
Memory Complaint Scale (MCS)
of life. The etiology and clinical significance of SMCs are unclear, but these complaints are associated with objective cognitive
decline or with depression, anxiety and psychosocial stressors. Biological and physiological brain alterations resembling those
in Alzheimers Disease have been found in SMC. SMC can evolve with different outcomes and represent the initial symptom
or a risk factor of dementia. Active systematic search can be useful for early screening of candidates for preventive or
therapeutic interventions. Objective: To propose a Memory Complaints Scale (MCS) as an instrument for actively searching
for memory complaints and to investigate its utility for discriminating demented from cognitively normal elderly. Methods: A
total of 161 patients from a teaching behavioral neurology outpatient unit of a tertiary hospital were studied. The MCS was
used in two ways, by direct application to the patient and by application to the patients companion. Cognitive tests assessing
depression and daily living activities were also applied. Results: High Cronbachs alpha coefficients were found for the two
application methods. Correlations between the two versions and the other instruments administered for patients grouped by
type and severity of dementia were also found. Conclusion: The MCS is a useful scale for identifying memory complaints
and discriminating demented from cognitively normal elderly. Further studies confirming these findings are warranted.
Key words: subjective memory complaints, memory, psychometric tests, dementia.
ESCALA DE QUEIXA DE MEMRIA (EQM).PROPOSTA DE UM INSTRUMENTO PARA BUSCA ATIVA E SISTEMATIZADA
RESUMO. Queixa Subjetiva de Memria (QSM) frequente entre adultos e idosos e est associada a pior qualidade de vida.
Etiologia e significado clnico so incertos, sendo associada a perdas cognitivas objetivas ou a depresso, ansiedade e
estressores psicossociais. Foram demonstradas alteraes biolgicas e fisiolgicas enceflicas semelhantes s da doena
de Alzheimer. Pode ter diferentes desfechos e representar sintoma inicial ou fator de risco para demncia. A busca ativa
e sistematizada pode ser til na identificao precoce de pessoas que podero receber intervenes preventivas ou
teraputicas. Objetivo: Propor a Escala de Queixa de Memria (EQM) como um instrumento para a busca de queixa de
memria e investigar se til para discriminar idosos demenciados de normais. Mtodos: Foram estudados 161 pacientes
de um ambulatrio didtico de neurologia comportamental de um hospital tercirio. A EQM foi utilizada nas duas formas,
uma diretamente aplicada ao paciente e a outra aplicada ao acompanhante sobre o paciente. Tambm foram aplicados
testes cognitivos, para depresso e para atividades dirias. Resultados: Foram encontrados altos coeficientes alfa de
Cronbach para as duas formas. Tambm foram encontradas correlaes entre as duas formas e os outros instrumentos,
para os pacientes agrupados conforme tipo e gravidade da demncia. Concluso: A EQM uma escala til para identificar
queixa de memria e pode ser til para discriminar idosos demenciados de normais. Estudos subsequentes devero ser
realizados para verificar essas informaes.
Palavras-chave: queixas subjetivas de memria, memria, testes psicomtricos, demncia.
INTRODUCTION
Behavioral Neurology Outpatient Unit of the Clnicas Hospital of the Hospital of the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine of the University of So Paulo, Ribeiro Preto
SP, Brazil. 1PhD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine of the Federal University of So Carlos (UFSCar), Neurologist, So Carlos SP, Brazil. 2Masters, Assistant Researcher of
the Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Group of the UFSCar and the Laboratory of Psychological Assessment of the UFAM, psychologist. 3PhD, Adjunct Professor
of the School of Psychology of the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), psychologist, Manaus AM, Brazil.
Francisco A.C. Vale. Federal University of So Carlos / Department of Medicine Rod. Washington Lus, km 235 / SP-310 13565-905 So Carlos SP
Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]
Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest. Received September 10, 2012. Accepted in final form November 15, 2012.
METHODS
Casuistic. The study data were collected directly from pa-
tients aged 60 years and older and also from their companions, at the Behavioral Neurology Outpatient Unit
of the Clnicas Hospital of the Ribeiro Preto School of
Medicine of the University of So Paulo (ANCP-HCFMRP) over a period spanning 18 months. The sample comprised 161 subjects, 59.0% of female gender. Mean age
was 72.07.67 years and mean schooling was 4.63.2
years. Of the participants, 5.0% were single, 60.2% married, 3.1% separated and 31.7% widowed. After full clinical and laboratory assessments, 28.0% of patients were
diagnosed with AD, 26.7% MCI, 16.8% vascular dementia, 26.1% other dementia types and 2.5% with SMC.
Instruments. Memory Complaint Scale (MCS). MCS (Ap-
Indicators
Mean
SD
0 (N=43)
MCS-A
7.40
4.204
MCS-B
5.58
5.225
MMSE
23.20
4.468
MCS-A
7.74
4.075
MCS-B
9.54
4.372
MMSE
17.78
4.129
MCS-A
5.15
4.009
MCS-B
11.26
3.848
MMSE
14.78
4.145
MCS-A
4.96
3.948
MCS-B
12.09
2.859
MMSE
7.93
6.070
1 (N=50)
RESULTS
Internal consistency of the MCS-A and MCS-B. With regard
2 (N=34)
3 (N=23)
into four subgroups by CDR (0, 1, 2 and 3) in order to assess the informative and discriminative potential of the
MCS-A and MCS-B, comparing the results on the scales
against mean values on the MMSE for each subgroup.
The results shown in Table 1, indicate that the MCS-A
(self-report) had higher memory complaint scores in
milder clinical conditions (CDR 0 and 1) and less intense
scores in more advanced clinical conditions (CDR 2 and
3). Moreover, comparison of the patient self-report
(MCS-A) in the first subgroup (CDR=0) revealed that
in this category, indicating absence of dementia, the
mean memory complaint score was 7.40, higher than
the mean score on the MCS-B (companion report) of
5.58. These results appear to show that, although not
recognized by the companion, a memory problem was
already perceived by the patients even in the absence of
a dementia condition.
Results showed that, on average, patients with CDR
1 reported an MC closer to CDR 0, whereas the reported
intensity of their complaint reduced progressively at
CDR 2 and 3, suggesting the occurrence of anosognosia, a common symptom in dementia conditions. On
the MCS-B however, a growing number of MCs were reported accompanying the progression in the dementia
condition. The same trend was evident for MMSE scores
in each subgroup, with decreasing scores as dementia
progressed. Multivariate analysis (ANOVA) comparing
the means for the MCS-A, MCS-B and MMSE among
the four CDR subgroups (0, 1, 2 and 3), confirmed statistically significant differences between means on the
DISCUSSION
A number of different types of validated questionnaires
are available for assessing SMC3,6,13,42-45 but are extensive
or fail to effectively discriminate SMC from dementia.
A Memory Complaint Scale (MCS) was proposed in
the present study. It was decided to designate the scale
a Memory Complaint (MC) instrument because a subjective memory complaint, as commonly used in the literature, is redundant in the sense that all complaints by
definition refer to a subjective symptom.
The results of this study showed that the MCS is a
stable, informative and discriminate scale, for both versions A and B. These results corroborate previous reports validating the scale.46-48
MCS-B
0.219**
0.241*
0.321**
CDR (N=150)
0.246**
0.470**
0.241**
0.330**
0.240**
0.325**
MMSE (N=113)
0.272**
0.304**
0.246**
0.509**
0.247**
0.250**
0.374**
* p<0.05; ** p<0.01.
Data given in Table 1 shows that elderly without dementia can complain of memory problems even though
the companion does not recognize them. However, patients with mild dementia reported MCs in a similar
manner to those without dementia, where the intensity of complaints reduced progressively with advancing dementia, probably due to anosognosia, a frequent
symptom in dementia conditions.49 Conversely, reports
by the companion increased progressively with advancing dementia. The same phenomenon was observed regarding MMSE scores, with progressively lower scores
accompanying the evolution of the dementia.
In patients with AD, reports by the companion correlated with patient performance on ADLs and severity
of dementia. In preliminary results reported previously,
the MCS was considered a useful tool since although
anosognosic patients self-assessed as having no dementia, the discrepancy with the assessment by the companions is itself discriminative. The same holds true for
patients with dementia in general.46,48
The data contained in Table 2 shows the weak positive correlations between patient-reported MCs and
performance on tests of memory and executive functions. The results also evidence a positive correlation
(reasonable to good) with the depressive symptoms
questioned, suggesting that cognitively functional individuals seeking neurological assistance may have MCs
which could be associated to depression. Other studies
in outpatient casuistics have also shown an association
between MCs and depression, as well as with anxiety
and psychosocial stressors.9,10 On the other hand, MCs
are common among adults and often a source of stress
and concern.50
These findings also showed negative correlations
(weak to reasonable) between patient memory prob-
Ms. Lara Vieira Balieiro and Ms. Lia Vieira Balieiro for
carefully and patiently keying in the hard copies of the
protocols.
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APPENDIX
MCS - MEMORY COMPLAINT SCALE
VERSION A - PATIENT ANSWERS
Objective: To assess patients memory complaint directly with him/her
Instructions:
Q1. Do you have any memory problems? (or forgetfulness? or memory difficulties)
()No = 0
( ) Unable to answer/unsure/doubt = 1
( ) Yes = 2
If answers No, mark 0 and likewise for Q2 and Q3 and skip ahead to Q4
Q2. How often does this happen?
()Rarely = 0
()Occasionally/sometimes =1
( ) A lot/frequently = 2
Q3. Does this memory problem hamper (or impair) your daily activities?
()No = 0
()Occasionally/sometimes = 1
( ) A lot /frequently = 2
( ) Somewhat worse = 1
( ) Much worse = 2
Q5. How is your memory compared with when you were younger?
( ) Same or better = 0
( ) Somewhat worse = 1
( ) Much worse = 2
Q6. Do you forget what youve just read or heard (e.g., in a conversation)?
()Rarely/never = 0
()Occasionally = 1
()Often = 2
Q7. Rate your memory on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 worst and 10 best
( ) 9 or 10 = 0
( ) 5 to 8 = 1
( ) 1 to 4 = 2
Scoring
Interpretation
[]No MCs (0-2) []Mild MCs (3-6) []Moderate MCs (7-10) []Severe MCs (11-14)
MCS - MEMORY COMPLAINT SCALE
VERSION B - COMPANION ANSWERS ABOUT PATIENT
Objective: To assess memory complaint of patient by companion report
Instructions:
( ) Unable to answer/unsure/doubt = 1
( ) Yes = 2
If answers No, mark 0 and likewise for Q2 and Q3 and skip ahead to Q4
Q2. How often does this happen?
()Rarely = 0
()Occasionally/sometimes =1
( ) A lot /frequently= 2
Q3. Does this memory problem hamper (or impair) his/her daily activities?
()No = 0
()Occasionally/sometimes = 1
( ) A lot /frequently = 2
( ) Somewhat worse = 1
( ) Much worse = 2
Q5. How is his/her memory compared with when they were younger?
( ) The same or better = 0
( ) Somewhat worse = 1
( ) Much worse = 2
Q6. Does he/she forget what theyve just read or heard (e.g., in a conversation)?
()Rarely/never = 0
()Occasionally = 1
()Often = 2
Q7. Rate his/her memory on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 worst and 10 best
( ) 9 or 10 = 0
( ) 5 to 8 = 1
( ) 1 to 4 = 2
Scoring
Interpretation
[]No MCs (0-2) []Mild MCs (3-6) []Moderate MCs (7-10) []Severe MCs (11-14)
The Portuguese version of the Memory Complaint Scale is available at: www. demneuropsy.com.br
218 Memory complaint scale: a new tool Vale FAC, et al.
( ) No sabe responder/indeciso/dvida = 1
( ) Sim = 2
( ) Pouco/mais ou menos =1
( ) Muito/frequente = 2
P3. Esse problema de memria tem atrapalhado (ou prejudicado) suas atividades no dia-a-dia?
( ) No = 0
( ) Pouco/mais ou menos = 1
( ) Muito/frequente = 2
P4. Como est sua memria em comparao com a de outras pessoas de sua idade?
( ) Igual ou melhor = 0
( ) Um pouco pior = 1
( ) Muito pior = 2
P5. Como est sua memria em comparao a quando voc era mais jovem?
( ) Igual ou melhor = 0
( ) Um pouco pior = 1
( ) Bem pior = 2
P6. Acontece de voc esquecer o que acabou de ler ou de ouvir (p. ex., numa conversa)?
( ) Raramente/nunca = 0
( ) De vez em quando = 1
( ) Frequentemente = 2
( )5a8=1
( )1a4=2
Pontuao ______
Interpretao:
[ ] Sem QM (0-2)
[ ] QM leve (3-6)
[ ] QM moderada (7-10)
[ ] QM acentuada (11-14)
Vale, Balieiro-Jr & Silva-Filho. Memory complaint scale (MCS): Proposed tool for active systematic search. Dement.
Neuropsychol. 2012;6:212-218
Objetivo: Avaliar a queixa de memria do(a) paciente por intermdio do(a) acompanhante
Instrues
( ) No sabe responder/indeciso/dvida = 1
( ) Sim = 2
( ) Pouco/mais ou menos =1
( ) Muito/frequente = 2
P3. Esse problema de memria tem atrapalhado (ou prejudicado) atividades dele(a) no dia-a-dia?
( ) No = 0
( ) Pouco/mais ou menos = 1
( ) Muito/frequente = 2
P4. Como est a memria dele(a) em comparao com a de outras pessoas de sua idade?
( ) Igual ou melhor = 0
( ) Um pouco pior = 1
( ) Muito pior = 2
P5. Como est a memria dele(a) em comparao a quando era mais jovem?
( ) Igual ou melhor = 0
( ) Um pouco pior = 1
( ) Bem pior = 2
P6. Acontece de ele(a) esquecer o que acabou de ler ou de ouvir (p. ex., numa conversa)?
( ) Raramente/nunca = 0
( ) De vez em quando = 1
( ) Frequentemente = 2
( )5a8=1
( )1a4=2
Pontuao ______
Interpretao:
[ ] Sem QM (0-2)
[ ] QM leve (3-6)
[ ] QM moderada (7-10)
[ ] QM acentuada (11-14)
Vale, Balieiro-Jr & Silva-Filho. Memory complaint scale (MCS): Proposed tool for active systematic search. Dement.
Neuropsychol. 2012;6:212-218