Subjective Evaluation of Mood and Cognitive Functions in a General Neurology Clinic: Patients versus Informants

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the correlation between subjective evaluations of mood and cognitive functions by patients and informants, and the findings of a battery of neuropsychological tests. METHODS: We analyzed 74 subjects recruited from a general neurology clinic, comprising 37 patients with cognitive complaints and 37 informants (either relatives or caregivers in close contact with the patients). Four ordinal scales concerning recent memory, verbal expression, initiative, and mood were correlated with the findings of a series of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires using the tau b coefficient. RESULTS: The scores for the patients on the scales were most strongly correlated with scores on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), while the scores for the informants were most strongly correlated with scores on GDS-15, the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline, and the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). The most significant correlation was between the initiative scale from informants and FAQ (tau b=-0.591, p<0.001), and it was the only one that remained significant after correcting for multiple testing (p Holm=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive complaints from patients mainly reflect their mood, whilst informant reports mainly reflect both the functional ability and mood of the patients.