Cognitive trajectories and dementia risk in individuals with subjective cognitive decline

Project Summary

This study focuses on subjective cognitive decline (SCD), where people notice memory issues despite not having measurable cognitive problems. SCD is often the first sign of potential dementia, but predicting outcomes for individuals can be challenging. Our research will analyze data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), linked to provincial healthcare records, to track cognitive changes and dementia risk in people with SCD, and to identify factors—such as age, education, mental health, and chronic illness—that may be associated with these changes.

SCD is common, with over half of CLSA participants reporting it. Worrying about these memory concerns is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. However, SCD does not always lead to dementia; it could be related to other factors, such as depression, or simply be part of normal aging. We aim to better identify people with SCD who are most at risk for future cognitive decline.