Health Discoveries in General Health News
Self-administered test may speed early diagnose of memory disorders
June 9, 2010
A 15-minute, self-administered test has been developed by an Ohio State University neurologist to screen for signs of early dementia and help improve treatment for memory disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.
A recent issue of the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders reports that the handwritten test can be a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive ability and may help healthcare providers diagnose memory disorders.
Dr. Douglas Scharre at the university's medical center developed the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) to identify mild cognitive and memory impairment. His research showed that 80 percent of those with such impairments are detected by the test, and 95 percent of healthy individuals show normal SAGE scores.
Scharre advocates the use of routine screening for cognitive disorders in the primary care setting, and the SAGE test lends itself to such a setting. He makes the test available free of charge to healthcare providers at www.sagetest.osu.edu. "[People] can take the test in the waiting room while waiting for the doctor," said Scharre.
A clinical study under way at the Litwin-Zucker Research Center, which researches Alzheimer's disease for the North Shore-LIJ Health System, involves people with memory disorders or with a family history of memory disorders and their caregivers.
A recent issue of the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders reports that the handwritten test can be a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive ability and may help healthcare providers diagnose memory disorders.
Dr. Douglas Scharre at the university's medical center developed the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) to identify mild cognitive and memory impairment. His research showed that 80 percent of those with such impairments are detected by the test, and 95 percent of healthy individuals show normal SAGE scores.
Scharre advocates the use of routine screening for cognitive disorders in the primary care setting, and the SAGE test lends itself to such a setting. He makes the test available free of charge to healthcare providers at www.sagetest.osu.edu. "[People] can take the test in the waiting room while waiting for the doctor," said Scharre.
A clinical study under way at the Litwin-Zucker Research Center, which researches Alzheimer's disease for the North Shore-LIJ Health System, involves people with memory disorders or with a family history of memory disorders and their caregivers.