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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Subjective memory complaints in preclinical autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease
Daniel J Norton1, Rebecca Amariglio1, Hillary Protas1
1From Massachusetts General Hospital (D.J.N., R.A., B.P., R.A.S., Y.T.Q.); Harvard Medical School (D.J.N., R.A., R.A.S., Y.T.Q.); Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hospital (R.A., R.A.S.), Boston, MA; Banner Alzheimer's Institute (H.P., K.C., P.T., J.B.L., E.M.R.), Phoenix, AZ; Grupo de Neurociencias (D.C.A.-A., V.T., C.M., F.L., Y.T.Q.), Universidad de Antioquia; Instituto de Alta Tecnologia Medica (G.C.), Medellin, Colombia; and Athinoula A Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging (Y.T.Q.), Boston, MA.
Objective:
To cross-sectionally study subjective memory complaints (SMC) in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD).
Methods:
We examined self-reported and study partner-based SMC in 52 young, cognitively unimpaired individuals from a Colombian kindred with early-onset ADAD. Twenty-six carried the PSEN-1 E280A mutation, averaging 7 years of age younger than the kindred's expected clinical onset. Twenty-six were age-matched noncarriers. Participants also underwent structural MRI and cognitive testing.
Results:
Self-reported SMC were greater in carriers than noncarriers (p = 0.02). Study partner-based SMC did not differ between groups (p = 0.21), but in carriers increased with age (r = 0.66, p < 0.001) and decreased with hippocampal volume (r = -0.35, p = 0.08).
Conclusions:
Cognitively unimpaired PSEN-1 carriers have elevated SMC. Self-reported SMC may be a relatively early indicator of preclinical AD, while partner- reported SMC increases later in preclinical AD, closer to clinical onset.
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