A simple test for early diagnosis of senile dementia
The early stages of age-related dementia can be determined by a psychological test
Kirill Stasevich, Compulenta
With any disease, an early diagnosis plays an extremely important role, and with all kinds of age–related cognitive disorders - especially. Dementia, which occurs when nerve tissue is destroyed (including Alzheimer's), cannot be cured, but it is quite possible to slow down their development somehow, and the sooner you are found to have the same Alzheimer's disease, the more it will be possible to stretch it over time.
Usually, when they talk about early diagnosis of Alzheimer's syndrome, they mean methods, although relatively simple, but still requiring complex analytical instruments. It is believed that cognitive impairments here become noticeable quite late and are not suitable for early diagnosis, therefore it is necessary to connect sophisticated biochemistry with physiology. However, researchers from Ohio State University (USA) disagree with this point of view: in their opinion, the usual psychological test, and even passed by the person himself, can indicate barely emerging age-related cognitive impairments.
To assess cognitive abilities, Douglas Scharre and his colleagues used the SAGE test (Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination), which was passed by a little more than a thousand people over 50 years old. This test tested the ability to navigate in time (whether a person is well aware of what month-day-year it is), speech and visual-spatial abilities, memory, etc. It was possible to score 22 points; if 6 or more were missing, then this could already be a cause for concern.
The subjects were not told that the test was intended to diagnose a possible disease: for them it was something like a preventive general blood test that they had to send to their attending physician. The test did not require any special equipment other than a pen and paper, and took only 15 minutes.
Previously, it was shown that using the SAGE test, four out of five cases of incipient memory impairment and other things can be recognized; if the test was applied to absolutely healthy people, it turned out to be correct in 95% of cases. In a new study, the method confirmed its capabilities by detecting cognitive impairment in 28% of participants. The purpose of the work was to check whether the test would be functional in special conditions: testing was carried out at various public events, meetings, etc. As the authors write in the article Community Cognitive Screening Using the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE), published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, the result was very satisfactory.
It is worth emphasizing that in this way it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis, find out what exactly caused the deterioration of cognitive abilities, etc. However, this check may be the first call, after which it will be possible to do more detailed and detailed analyses. The essence of the method lies in its exceptional simplicity and the possibility of application in any conditions: there is no need for any laboratory. A person can check himself regularly and send the results to the doctor, unless, of course, he is lazy.
Prepared by the materials of the Ohio State University:
SAGE Test Useful to Screen for Memory Disorders in Community Settings, Ohio State Study ShowsPortal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru