| Abstract [eng] |
It has long been known that the various cognitive functions - memory, information processing speed and other abilities – deteriorate with age. However, despite the objective cognitive impairments, little attention is paid to the impact of persons subjective cognitive complaints. A number of studies have suggested that the accuracy of human subjective assessment is influenced by its emotional state and depression, but research in this area is contradictory, as well as mostly related to the clinical sampling. This research aims to answer the question, in what ways person's depresive mood has an impact to the relationship between subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive performance. 60 participants aged 50 to 70 participated in the study. The participants were provided with tests to measure the information processing speed, memory and executive functions. The participants also filled out questionnaires for depression and for subjective cognitive complaints. Moderation analysis method was used to test the research hypotheses. The results of the study showed that depression is a moderator between simple information processing speed and its subjective complaints, but not the relation between the other cognitive abilities (complex, semantic information processing speed, short-term, long term and working memory, various executive functions, such as planning and shifting) and subjective cognitive complaints. Moderation effect manifested with higher depression levels. |
