Subjective memory complaints of family members of patients with Alzheimer's disease and depression

Background: First-degree relatives of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and major depression (MD) carry an increased genetic risk for the same disorders. Subjective memory complaints of the family members of patients might be an early sign or an indicator of an increased risk of either dementia or depression. Alternatively, they might be the consequence of the increased subjective awareness of relatives and spouses of patients of their own age-associated memory failures. To investigate the relevance of the above-mentioned hypotheses, the prevalence rates of subjective memory complaints of first-degree relatives and spouses of patients with AD, of patients with MD and of control subjects were compared.

Methods: Personal interviews were conducted with 718 first-degree relatives and 196 spouses of 146 AD patients, 168 patients with MD and 136 control subjects from the general population. The prevalences of subjective memory complaints by relatives or spouses were compared using chi(2) tests. To control for differences of gender and age at onset, Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed.

Results: There were no differences in the prevalence of subjective memory complaints by first-degree relatives of subjects with AD, MD and controls after controlling for age differences. The same applies to the subjective memory complaints in their spouses.

Conclusion: Subjective memory complaints were frequent in family members. However, they were neither associated with the genetic risk of AD or of MD nor could they be explained by an increased awareness by having a demented spouse or relative. Consequently, familial factors seem to have a limited influence on the presence of subjective memory complaints in the elderly.