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Updated: May 11, 2025
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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
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Navigating memory problems and mild cognitive impairment in later life: A qualitative secondary data analysis
Christine Carter1, Penny Rapaport2, Claudia Cooper1,3
1Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
Dementia (London, England)
|April 17, 2025
Summary
Older adults with memory concerns often feel confused, as diagnostic labels like Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) can increase uncertainty rather than provide reassurance. Maintaining identity through activities becomes challenging when abilities decline.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Sociology of Aging
Background:
- Many older adults experience memory concerns, leading to uncertainty and confusion.
- Some individuals seek professional help, receiving diagnoses such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), while many do not.
- Understanding the subjective experiences of cognitive concerns in aging is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of individuals aged 60 and older with memory concerns.
- To investigate how memory impairment is understood within the broader context of aging.
- To examine the impact of diagnostic labels on individuals experiencing cognitive changes.
Main Methods:
- Secondary data analysis of 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews.
- Participants were adults aged 60+ experiencing memory concerns, with 9 having sought professional help.
- Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes in the data.
Main Results:
- Three core themes emerged: situating memory concerns amidst contradictory discourses (medical vs. normal aging), affirming self through social roles and activities, and maintaining identity and relationships.
- Diagnostic labels, while validating for relatives, often failed to provide support or reassurance to the individual, sometimes leading to concealment of concerns.
- Declining abilities in activities, vital for identity affirmation, caused significant distress and negative self-comparison.
Conclusions:
- Subjective experiences of memory concerns in older adults are marked by confusion, with diagnostic labels potentially exacerbating this.
- Identity is often affirmed through social roles and activities, and a decline in these abilities can lead to distress.
- Societal views on aging and cognitive decline significantly influence how individuals perceive and manage their memory concerns.
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