Subjective Memory Deficits in People with and without Dementia: Findings from the 10/66 Dementia Research Group Pilot Studies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

OBJECTIVES: To compare subjective memory deficit (SMD) in older adults with and without dementia or depression across multiple centers in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LAMICs). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from 23 case control studies. SETTING: Twenty‐three centers in India, Southeast Asia (including China), Latin America and the Caribbean, Nigeria, and Russia. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand six hundred ninety‐two community‐dwelling people aged 60 and older in one of three groups: people with dementia, people with depression, and controls free of dementia and depression. MEASUREMENTS: SMD was derived from the Geriatric Mental State examination. RESULTS: Median SMD frequency was lowest in participants without dementia (26.2%) and higher in those with depression (50.0%) and dementia (66.7%). Frequency of SMD varied between centers. Depression and dementia were consistently associated with SMD. Older age and hypochondriasis were associated with SMD only in subjects without dementia. In those with dementia, SMD was associated with better cognitive function, whereas the reverse was the case in controls. CONCLUSION: Associations with SMD may differ between subjects with and without dementia living in LAMICs.