B-82Evidence for a Cogniform Disorder Subtype

Objective: Patients with somatoform disorders, who present with excessive physical and medical symptoms, may also present with excessive cognitive complaints. Recently, a subtype of somatoform disorder related to cognitive symptoms was proposed (Delis & Wetter, 2007). We examined the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Cognitive Complaints (COG) scale in individuals referred for screening due to cognitive concerns related to a medical condition. We expected the COG scale would be related to other physical symptoms report scales, as well as personality characteristics consistent with somatoform disorders. We also examined the relationship of the COG scale with neuropsychological performance. Methods: Participants were 25 community-dwelling individuals (19 women), on average 44 years of age, with a mean educational level of 14 years, who reported cognitive concerns. Disorders for which individuals were referred included hypothyroidism, hypertension, and arthritis. All participants received a neuropsychological screening evaluation, and the MMPI-2-RF was also completed as a part of this larger battery. All participants were provided feedback on their performance on the cognitive measures. Results: Of the sample, 68% showed clinical elevations on COG. High scores on COG were related to elevations on validity and clinical MMPI-2-RF scales, the Response Bias Scale, and other somatization scales. COG was unrelated to cognitive performance and an effort measure (Word Memory Test). Conclusions: Overall, results provide some validity for the cognifirm disorder subtype of somatoform disorders. Elevated self-reported cognitive symptoms were related to high physical symptoms and to personality variables associated with somatoform disorder.