Abstract

This study aimed to determine differences in emotional facial expression in the elderly with subjective cognitive decline compared to mild cognitive impairment and normal elderly people. For this purpose, 20 normal elderly people living in Gyeongsangnam-do (Korea), 20 mild cognitive impairment patients visiting general hospitals, and 20 subjective cognitive decline elderly people were selected using neuropsychological tests and various scales. These selected participants were subjected to a recognition memory task using facial expressions containing emotions (positive, negative, and neutral). Accuracy of memory according to emotional value was measured. As a result, subjective in the elderly group with subjective cognitive decline did not remember positive facial expressions better than patients with mild cognitive impairment. In addition, the elderly group with subjective cognitive decline remember negative facial expressions better than positive and neutral factial expressions. The normal elderly group remembered positive facial expressions better than negative and neutral facial expressions. In the group with mild cognitive impairment, there were no significant differences according to emotional value. Results of this study suggest that the elderly with subjective cognitive decline have more impaired emotional regulation ability than the normal elderly. Therefore, early intervention for individuals experiencing subjective cognitive decline is necessary even if they fall into the normal category in the objective cognitive function test.