Neuropsychological study of young adults with subjective memory complaints: involvement of the executive functions and other associated frontal symptoms
INTRODUCTION Subjective memory complaints are one of the reasons why young adults visit neurology services. Generally speaking, memory complaints are considered to increase with age and, in the elderly, they become associated to a number of factors (depression, other emotional problems, personality or self-perceived quality of life). Their appearance has also been related with disorders affecting meta-memory and the frontal lobes. Thus, certain attentional and executive deficits could account for the appearance of mistakes and lapses in day-to-day life that are perceived as memory disorders by the general population.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS A neuropsychological examination battery and the dysexecutive questionnaire (DEX-Sp) were administered to two groups of young adults, one with subjective memory complaints that were severe enough to require a visit to a neurology service (n = 50) and the other without such complaints (n = 67).
RESULTS Data showed how the individuals with subjective complaints had a lower mnemonic, attentional and executive performance than subjects who did not present any complaints. Both groups, however, are within what can be considered statistically normal values. There were also significant differences in the number of frontal symptoms self-informed by means of the questionnaire that was applied.
CONCLUSIONS The differences that were found in mnemonic performance can be explained by non-pathognomonic attentional and executive dysfunctions, given the absence of a neuropathological process to justify them. Furthermore, use of the DEX-Sp in collaboration with classic neuropsychological assessment is proposed. Some new hypotheses and recommendations for the management of these patients in daily clinical practice are also discussed.
KeywordsDEXDysexecutive syndromeExecutive functionsFrontal cortexFrontal lobesMemoryMemory complaintsNeuropsychologyScreeningCategoriesNeuropediatríaNeuropsicología
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