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Recent research suggests that cognitive complaints may be more reflective of affective health than of actual cognitive deficits. The current study examines whether affective health moderates the relationship between cognitive complaints and cognitive performance. A convenience sample of 194 patients with cognitive complaints referred to a neuropsychology clinic at a university-affiliated medical center was studied. Cognitive complaints were assessed via the Cognitive Complaints Scale (COG) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Affective health was examined using the emotional/internalizing dysfunction, demoralization, somatic complaints, low positive emotions, and dysfunctional negative emotions scales of the MMPI-2-RF. Cognitive performance was measured via the California Verbal Learning Test-II, Trail Making Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV: Digit Span subtest and Wechsler Memory Scale-III: Logical Memory subtest. Outcomes were the presence/absence of cognitive impairment [with presence of cognitive impairment defined as one or more neuropsychological test z-scores greater than or equal to 1.5 standard deviations below the mean] and a general cognitive performance composite. Simple moderation analyses were used to examine the conditional effect of cognitive complaints on the outcomes. Higher scores on COG (i.e., more cognitive complaints) predicted lower cognitive performance composite scores only in individuals exhibiting elevated emotional/internalizing dysfunction, demoralization, low positive emotions, and dysfunctional negative emotions (ps < .05). Higher scores on COG predicted higher cognitive performance composite scores in individuals with low levels of somatic complaints (p < .05). Affective health did not moderate the relationship between COG and the presence/absence of cognitive impairment (ps > .05). The results of this study indicate that the effect of cognitive complaints on cognitive performance differs as a function of affective health. These findings illustrate the importance of assessing affective health when interpreting and responding to patients’ cognitive complaints in clinical practice. |
