Subjective and objective prospective memory in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Background Prospective memory (PM) involves remembering to execute an intended action in the future, and it is an important skill that predicts everyday functioning in older adults. Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exhibit difficulties in PM. This study examined subject and caregiver reports of PM ability and their associations with objective PM. Method Participants included older healthy controls (n = 58), persons with MCI (n = 65), and individuals with AD (n = 18). The Prospective‐Retrospective Memory Questionnaire was used to assess self‐ and caregiver‐reports of participants’ PM skills. Objective abilities were measured using tests of “simple” and “complex” PM. Simple PM was defined as remembering to perform a single action in the future. Complex PM was defined as selecting the correct action based on the context. Result Regression analyses revealed that caregiver‐reported PM predicted complex PM only in healthy controls. In contrast, self‐reported PM did not predict objective PM in any group. Conclusion The results showed that self‐reports of PM are not good indicators of objective PM. While caregiver reports may be more accurate in relation to PM in healthy older adults, they do not align as well with objective PM for those with cognitive impairment. Overall, this research indicates that objective measures should be used to evaluate this important skill that contributes to everyday functioning.