Subjective cognitive impairment —more questions than answers

Abstract

The article is devoted to the actual problem of subjective cognitive impairment, in particular, diagnostic methods, as well as hidden and obvious factors affecting its development. Due to the lack of effective treatment, today special attention is paid to pre-demental cognitive disorders.
 Aim. Analysis of available literature data on subjective cognitive impairment.
 Material and methods. Various sources were considered during conducting a literature review on the selected topic. The search depth was more than 15 years. Russian and foreign sources were studied on Internet platforms such as Web of science, UpToDate, PubMed, CyberLeninka, Medscape for selection of literature.
 Results. According to the studied data, the prevalence of subjective cognitive impairment is quite high in the population, but diagnosis remains difficult due to the lack of susceptible and unified tests. International diagnostic criteria for subjective cognitive impairment are described. The article also presents modern ideas about the obvious and hidden factors that affect the course and prognosis of this state. The possibility of early diagnosis, as one of the most urgent tasks, as well as the methodology of neurocognitive testing are discussed.
 Conclusion. Subjective cognitive impairment is becoming an increasingly urgent problem every year. In this regard, doctors of various specialties need to focus attention with minimal suspicion of pathology, since at this stage the changes are potentially reversible. There are both explicit and implicit factors that lead to subjective cognitive impairment. Among the hidden factors, the article discusses multitasking, impaired social interaction, gadget addiction, affective disorders, sleep disorders, pain, and COVID-19. For the most effective detection of subjective cognitive disorders, it is necessary to have unified sets of susceptible tests, which are currently under development.