Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a disease that affects many people over the age of 50. Characterized by memory loss, loss in reasoning and decision-making ability; it affects not only the victim, but also friends and relatives.

Why is it important to have an Alzheimer's test done? Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. It affects thousands of people every year.
The Alzheimer's test described below is very easy to do but it is worthwhile noting that this test is not a concrete alzheimer's test. You will still have to seek medical advice for an accurate diagnosis.

A new self-administered test could be the way forward in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The 10-task test was much more sensitive in picking out those with the standard Alzheimer’s test, according to a new report. 

Summary

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is important and the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) is the standard way of detecting the condition. But a new study from Cambridge, UK, suggests that there might be a better way, with a simpler test. The study compares the self-administered cognitive screening test (TYM, or ‘test your memory’) with the MMSE and finds it performs better.

Introduction

The main symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is decline in memory, although other cognitive deficits are also important. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, as yet, there are treatments and interventions that may delay the progress of the condition. That is why earlier and more accurate diagnosis is so important.

What was done

Researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK, devised and evaluated a new test called TYM (Test Your Memory). It is a series of ten tasks including the ability to copy a sentence, knowledge of words and their meaning, calculation, verbal fluency and recall ability. The ability to carry out the test is also noted. Each of the tasks has a score and the total for the TYM test is 50 points. The researchers had a group of 540 healthy individuals aged 18 to 95 years carry out the test. They also tested 139 patients with either Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. The test was compared to the MMSE and another standard test called the Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination.

What was found

The healthy controls completed the test in an average time of five minutes. Their average score was 47 out of 50. Those with Alzheimer’s had a lower average score of 33. Those with mild cognitive impairment scored an average of 45. Average performance was constant between ages 18 and 70, with a small decline after this age. Scores did not vary between men and women or with geographical location, suggesting the socioeconomic factors might have only minor impact on the results. The TYM could detect 93% of those with Alzheimer’s disease while the MMSE detects only 52% of those with the condition.

What this study means

The TYM is faster to administer than MMSE and does not need highly qualified people to do so. It is also more accurate and tests a wider range of cognitive abilities. The Addenbrooke’s test is also more sensitive than MMSE, but takes longer to administer. Therefore, the TYM looks very promising, but it now needs to be validated in a wider range of clinical settings.

The DIY Alzheimer's  Test

You can pass the Alzheimer’s Test by downloading the following files from the BMJ:

Alzheimer's Test Part 1 (PDF File)
Alzheimer's Test Part 2 (PDF File)

Please note that it’s not a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. If you are concerned about your memory, we recommend to seek medical advice

Source

Brown J, Pengas G et al Self administered cognitive screening test (TYM) for detection of Alzheimer’s disease: cross sectional study BMJ online June 9 2009 BMJ 2009;338:b2030

If you are concerned about Alzheimer's Disease, you might want to read the following articles:

How to Try to Avoid Alzheimer's
Driving safely with Alzheimer's Disease
Spinal Tap May Be Able to Predict Alzheimer’s Disease