Eudokia Emmanouilidou

The early identification of cognitive decline is crucial for well-timed intervention and diagnosis, particularly in the context of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, we investigated the complex interplay between trait affect, objective cognitive performance, and subjective memory estimations in a sample of 105 older adults. Using path analysis, we aimed to determine whether trait affect and objective cognitive control abilities predict individuals’ subjective perceptions of their own memory abilities. The results revealed that both positive and negative trait affect significantly predicted subjective memory estimations, while objective cognitive control performance did not significantly predict these estimations. These findings highlight a crucial dissociation between objective and subjective cognitive measures. Therefore, the present results underscore the critical importance of complementing self-reported cognitive estimations, which can be biased by stable emotional dispositions, with objective cognitive tools like the R4Alz-pc (preclinical) index. This approach enables a more accurate evaluation of cognitive health in advancing age, especially for the early detection of subtle dysfunction in preclinical AD.

Background/Objectives: Early identification of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is critically important. This study investigates whether early cognitive decline in preclinical AD can be detected through the executive functioning index R4Alz-pc by predicting memory-related worry and negative affect. Methods: A sample of 105 cognitively healthy, community-dwelling older adults (M = 59.25 years) completed the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) and the R4Alz-pc index battery. Results: Lower performance on the R4Alz-pc index was significantly associated with increased negative affect related to memory. Mediation analysis indicated that memory-related worry mediated the relationship between executive dysfunction and negative affect. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of early, objective cognitive assessment using easy-to-administer and non-invasive tools like the R4Alz-pc, enabling timely detection and intervention for preclinical AD. Such methods may reduce reliance on costly biomarker-based diagnostics.