A new paper, published in Neurology journal, revealed how a simple memory test could predict dementia at least a decade before symptoms start.
It is hoped the tool will help inform appropriate lifestyle changes or the best time to prescribe medications to lessen the effects of dementia.
Lead author Doctor Ellen Grober, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, explained: “There is increasing evidence that some people with no thinking and memory problems may actually have very subtle signs of early cognitive impairment.
“In our study, a sensitive and simple memory test predicted the risk of developing cognitive impairment in people who were otherwise considered to have normal cognition.”
READ MORE: The mineral that could benefit men over the age of 50
As part of the research, 969 people with an average age of 69 with no thinking or memory problems at the outset were recruited.
They were divided into five groups, of stages zero through to four, based on test scores, as part of the SOMI (Stages of Objective Memory Impairment) system, and then followed for up to 10 years.
In the test people were shown four cards, each with drawings of four items and asked to identify the item belonging to a particular category. For example, participants would name the item “grapes” after being asked to identify a fruit.
Participants are also asked to recall the items and for items they did not remember, they were given category cues.
People placed in stage zero had no memory problems.
Stages one and two reflected increasing difficulty with retrieving memories, which could precede dementia by five to eight years. They were able to remember items when given cues.
But in the third and fourth stages, people could not remember all the items even after they were given cues. These stages preceded dementia by one to three years and researchers said they were three times more likely to experience cognitive decline.
After adjusting for Alzheimer’s biomarkers including rogue brain proteins called beta amyloid and tau, the SOMI system continued to predict an increased risk.
READ MORE: ‘Distress’ when looking in the mirror could be a sign of dementia
“It also could benefit those people who are found to be at increased risk by consulting with their physician and implementing interventions to promote healthy brain ageing.”
Almost half (47 percent) of the participants were in stage zero, 35 percent in stage one, 13 percent in stage two and five percent in stages three and four combined.
Of the participants, 234 people developed cognitive impairment.
Common symptoms of dementia include:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes.
If you think you or a loved one is displaying symptoms of dementia you should speak to a GP.
