Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire
The Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) is a self-report measure developed to assess subjective memory skills applicable to clinical assessment and intervention. Subjective memory ratings reveal information that is distinct from objective memory performance and help clinicians build relevant therapy courses to address the patient’s cognitive concerns. The MMQ reports reliable and valid metamemory measures (Troyer & Rich, 2002).
I use the MMQ with patients referred with memory complaints for outpatient speech therapy services. The MMQ is my PROM = patient reported outcome measure for this population. One feature I appreciate about the MMQ is that you can convert the raw score into a standardized T-score with corresponding severity ratings. This feature makes reporting and quantifying change over time easy-breezy. I also like that the questionnaire creators prioritized everyday memory practices (e.g. ability to remember to pay a bill or take medications) over structured memory tasks (e.g. ability to memorize word pairs or recognize words from a list).
Fast Facts:
The MMQ has three scales consisting of 18-20 questions each.
Satisfaction: measures worries about memory.
Ability: measures subjective forgetfulness.
Strategy: measures compensatory memory strategies.
Normative data are based on a sample of 401 healthy and cognitively normal middle-aged and older adults.
MMQ forms are available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The MMQ focuses on memory abilities and strategies that are applicable to everyday life (e.g., remembering names, using repetition) rather than assessment tasks (e.g., remembering word pairs).
One, Two, or all of the scales can be administered at any one time.
The administration order is: Satisfaction, Ability, and then Strategy.
The MMQ was developed and validated for use in adults aged 39 to 91.
permissions
“Health professionals, researchers, and students may use the MMQ test forms without permission for noncommercial clinical, research, and educational purposes.”
“I like how the MMQ gleans insight into 3 areas of a patient’s perception of their memory functionality. This helps me generate a personalized therapy plan. When re-administered at the end of therapy, I can show the patient positive trends in their perception of memory skills. The comparison to their baseline scores shows the patient how therapy has addressed their memory concerns.”
How I use the MMQ in my practice
The MMQ is provided to the patient during the initial evaluation. This may take 10 minutes for the patient to complete the 3 pages (front and back). The patient is asked to read and score each statement. After the session, I score the forms and add the results to my evaluation report.
At the next session, I review the results with the patient and discuss the areas of strengths and weaknesses. We use this information to generate a plan for therapy.
The MMQ is re-administered at the progress report session or at the next to last session. Ideally, the scores have improved from baseline and we can review how the interventions have improved the patient’s satisfaction, ability, and use of memory strategies.
If there is no improvement in scores, then we seek to identify obstacles and generate a plan to remove or overcome the obstacles.
Using the MMQ highlights the patient’s perception of their abilities at baseline and their perception of change over time due to the intervention of skilled speech and language pathology. This is a very helpful way to demonstrate progress to the patient and for use in documentation.
“Self-appraisals of memory add a unique dimension to the assessment of memory performance that is not captured by objective memory testing alone. Self-report tools allow the measurement of everyday memory problems rather than more artificial, laboratory-based memory problems. Consequently, such tools allow estimation of the clinical significance of a documented memory problem and can guide the development of intervention programs aimed at improving everyday memory function.”
Resources
Troyer, A. K., & Rich, J. B. (2002). Psychometric properties of a new metamemory questionnaire for older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 57(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/57.1.P19.
Angela K. Troyer, Larry Leach, Susan Vandermorris & Jill B. Rich (2019) The measurement of participant-reported memory across diverse populations and settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Memory, 27:7, 931-942, DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1608255
Singer, J., MacGregor, A., Cherkas, L., & Spector, T. (2005). Where Did I Leave My Keys? A Twin Study of Self-Reported Memory Ratings Using the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 8(2), 108-112. doi:10.1375/twin.8.2.108
Fort, I., Adoul, L., Holl, D., Kaddour, J., & Gana, K. (2004). Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire for Adults and the Elderly. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement 23(4), 347-355. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/182242.
Illman NA, Moulin CJ, Kemp S. Assessment of everyday memory functioning in temporal lobe epilepsy and healthy adults using the multifactorial memory questionnaire (MMQ). Epilepsy Res. 2015 Jul;113:86-9. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.03.011. Epub 2015 Apr 7. PMID: 25986194.
