A simple test can spot Alzheimer’s in only five minutes. The Test Your Memory (TYM) method, according to experts, almost doubles the odds of detecting early cases of Alzheimer’s, a much higher rate of accuracy than any other screening test currently available. The new test can even be self-administered.
The TYM test evaluates ten measures of memory, including verbal fluency, remembering a copied sentence, the ability to copy a sentence, and calculations.
Researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, U.K., tested 540 people ages 18 to 95 without memory problems and 139 patients attending a memory clinic. The TYM test detected 93 percent of Alzheimer’s cases. In the same study, the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), which has been the standard for assessing the disease for the past 30 years, detected only 52 percent of patients.
A perfect score is 50 and healthy volunteers scored an average of 47. Patients with mild cognitive impairment scored an average of 45, and those patients with Alzheimer’s disease scored an average of 33 points.
“The TYM can be done in a few minutes and it’s a good way of identifying people who need further assessment,” neurologist Jeremy Brown, leader of the research team, told Daily Mail. “If people have a low score it’s possible there are other reasons, such as dyslexia, poor eyesight or nerves—but a doctor who knows them can pick that up.”
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, earlier detection could help victims and their families get medical care and support earlier.
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