Patient- and caregiver-subjective memory complaints are associated with sociodemographic and clinical factors in neurocognitive disorders

Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are common in older adults and may signal cognitive decline. We examined the clinical correlates of patient-reported SMC and caregiver-reported complaints (CMC) and introduced their discrepancy (SMC∆) as a potential marker of anosognosia or caregiver overestimation. We carried out a cross-sectional study and systematically assessed cognitive, functional, and behavioral domains of 6708 individuals from a Latin American memory clinic. CMC scores were significantly higher than SMC and were more strongly associated with cognitive and functional impairments, while SMC was linked to neurological comorbidities and higher education. Psychiatric symptoms were associated with both CMC and SMC∆. Lower cognitive scores predicted greater CMC, and SMC∆ was best explained by education, MoCA, and NPI-Q. Our findings suggest that SMC, CMC, and their discrepancy capture distinct aspects of disease awareness and caregiver perception, supporting the clinical utility of SMC∆ in early detection and assessment of neurodegenerative conditions.