Subjective Memory Complaints Are Associated with Diurnal Measures of Salivary Cortisol in Cognitively Intact Older Adults

Significant associations between SMC and diurnal measures of cortisol in cognitively intact elderly suggest that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction may contribute to early neuropathologic changes in older adults who complain of memory decline undetected on neuropsychological testing.