[Longitudinal follow-up of a population with cognitive complaint: characteristics and progression profile]

Cognitive complaint is a common cause of consultation among older adults at the primary care level and it may be the first symptom of cognitive impairment, thus its assessment and follow-up are essential for an early diagnosis.

to describe the baseline neurocognitive profile and evolution of patients with cognitive complaint evaluated at the geriatric assessment unit of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires.

observational study of a retrospective cohort of 518 patients with cognitive complaint who underwent a comprehensive geriatric evaluation and cognitive impairment screening tests at the first visit and follow-up visits. Patients diagnosed with dementia at baseline were excluded.

323 (62.36%) subjects were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment at the first visit and 195 (37.64%) had no cognitive impairment. Of the all the patients, 216 (41.7%) subjects showed worsening of their baseline cognitive status. They had an older age at baseline evaluation, a lower educational level and a worse outcome at Mini Mental State Examination and at memory, executive and language tests than those who remained stable.

in this follow-up study of a cohort with cognitive complaint we verify the impact of age, educational level and poor outcomes on memory, executive function and language domains as variables associated with progression of cognitive impairment.