Reported response patterns may discern subgroups (or classes) of severity, for example, having moderate difficulty performing daily functions due to cognitive decline. Further, the current structure is difficult to assess differential experiences of cognitive decline predicted by socio-demographics or behavior. Unfortunately, this does not distinguish the severity of respondent’s SCD, an important distinction for most effectively providing care to a population. To date, analysis is limited to descriptive statistics of individual items. The use of the cognitive decline module in BRFSS allows public health professionals and academic researchers to understand the prevalence of SCD at the state and national level. Since 2015, less than half of people experiencing SCD discussed their symptoms with a healthcare provider. Results from 2019-2020 show that 1 in 10 people 45 years and older are experiencing SCD, improving slightly from 2015-2018 (1 in 9). In 2015, the module has been refined to a six-item measure administered in the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to reflect subjective cognitive decline (SCD). As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Healthy Aging program’s Healthy Brain Initiative developed an instrument to measure increased confusion and memory loss. Overall, the national impact of cognitive decline on daily functioning prompted calls for enhanced surveillance and data collection. Cognitive decline, an early warning sign for dementia, becomes apparent in one’s inability to manage typical daily activities, household chores, and social interactions. In the US, in 2014 about 5 million people were living with Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disease, which is projected to double by 2060. Using a single categorical indicator of SCD severity instead of six separate items improves the versatility of population-level surveillance.ĭementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, significantly impact our increasingly aging population. This study determined three latent subgroups indicating severity of SCD and identified socio-demographic predictors.
![45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond 45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0022/9176/1241/products/new-believe-in-magic-per-yard-by-eric-sturtevant-for-studio-e-5467-44-cream-castle-scenic-405955_1400x1400.jpg)
Members of this subgroup were significantly less likely to be older (65+ vs. Thirty-five percent of the sample belonged to the Severe group. The optimal number of latent classes was three, labeled as Mild, Moderate, and Severe SCD.
![45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond 45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/samples_nlp.png)
![45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond 45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/51rlvARa1PL._SL1136_.jpg)
![45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond 45 meg persecond vs 95 meg persecond](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Airobotics-Haifa-Port1.png)
ResultsĪ total of 54,771 reported experiencing SCD. Multinomial logistic regression predicted latent class membership from socio-demographic covariates. Latent class analysis was used to determine unobserved subgroups of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) based on item response patterns. The optional cognitive decline module is a six-item self-reported scale pertaining to challenges in daily life due to memory loss and growing confusion over the past twelve months. MethodsīRFSS is an annual, nationally representative questionnaire in the United States. Using quantitative methods and national representative survey data, we can monitor the potential burden of disease at the population-level. Cognitive decline can be an early indicator for dementia.