The value of informant versus individual's complaints of memory impairment in early dementia.

Self-reported versus informant-reported memory problems in nondemented elderly adults and in individuals with very mild and mild dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) were correlated with cognitive outcomes. No significant correlations were found between self-reported memory complaints and cognitive performance or (in controls) later development of dementia. In contrast, informant-reported memory loss distinguished nondemented from demented individuals and predicted future diagnosis of DAT.