Simple memory tests can predict Alzheimer’s 5 to 10 years before onset
Published: June 15, 2005
Simple memory tests appear to predict with a high degree of accuracy those people who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease within five to 10 years, a study suggests.
Previously, cognitive testing could red-flag those at high risk for Alzheimer’s just two years before the onset of symptoms, said Mary Tierney of Sunnybrook and Women’s Health Sciences Centre, the study’s lead investigator.
“There was no way of identifying these people with some degree of accuracy up to 10 years before they developed (Alzheimer’s disease),” said Tierney. “If we’re able to identify people at risk, and it looks like there’s a chance they may get it, they may be the ones that want to take anything that’s available to help them.”
The 10-year study of 1,000 Canadians aged 65 or older found that one test - called delayed verbal recall - could predict with 70 per cent accuracy those participants who would develop the progressive neurological disease within a decade.
The test involved showing a participant a list of 15 everyday words, such as “moon” and “parent,” and going over them several times. A minute or so later, the subject was asked to recall as many of the words as possible.
Many of those who scored poorly - remembering as few as four words - went on to develop Alzheimer’s 10 years later, said Tierney, director of geriatric research at the Toronto hospital.
Researchers had even greater accuracy in predicting who would get the disease five years before onset, using delayed verbal recall plus two other tests: one in which a respondent is asked to name as many animals as possible and a general information test, which asks such questions as “Who is the current premier of Ontario,” Tierney said.
With all three tests, more than 80 per cent of those who had low scores overall developed Alzheimer’s symptoms within five years.
“In many ways, it probably reflects what Alzheimer’s disease is,” said Tierney, whose study is published this week in the journal Neurology.
In the earlier stages, Alzheimer’s primarily affects more immediate memory. Later, other areas of the brain are affected, said Tierney.
“So not only do you have immediate memory, you have long-term memory that’s being affected, as well as just the ability to generate words to a category (animals).”
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