Studies Find Sage Reliable
Researchers from Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University recently reported that over 1,000 people took the test over a five year period.
In that time, the test detected early signs of cognitive issues in 30% of the participants. Dr. Douglas Scharre reaffirmed his confidence in the test saying, What we found was that this SAGE, self-administered test correlated very well with the very detailed cognitive testing.
When the test is repeated over time, doctors can monitor their patients and detect slight changes in cognitive ability. Scharre went on to say, If we see this change, we can catch it really early, and we can start treatments much earlier than we did without a test.
Because early detection is crucial to managing and treating Alzheimers, SAGE could be an essential tool in slowing the progression of the disease.
Do you think SAGE is a valuable tool in the early diagnosis of Alzheimers? Wed like to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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Dementia Tests You Can Do At Home
There is no one correct way that you can test for conditions like Alzheimers or other forms of dementia without taking a medical test that a doctor can give. But you can do an easy memory test at home. The test may help give you an indication that something may be wrong with your, or somebody elses memory. It helps differentiate between normal everyday forgetfulness that we sometimes get and something more serious.
We take a look at two ways that you can a do at home dementia test
Word Association Tests
Simple word tests can be used to help detect memory problems a person may have.
Our brain saves and stores all the words we learn during our lives in our memories which then allows us to recollect what a word means without thinking about it.
A person who is having difficulty remembering words or confusing their words could have a problem that is associated with their memory. Word association tests such as the one below seem to work well in detecting memory problems.
- Ask the individual taking the test to name all the animals they can think of in one minute.
- Ask the individual to name all the types of fruit they can remember in one minute.
Test Results Research has found that a healthy individuals scoring should between 20 to 25 words in the time given whereas a person who may have memory problems usually scores between 10 15
The Clock Drawing Test. Do at Home Dementia Test.
Dementia Clock Test Results
Simple Way To Test Yourself For Dementia
Douglas W. Scharre, MD, associate professor of neurology and director, division of cognitive neurology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus. His research was published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences.
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Having trouble finding the right wordsshowing up for visits on the wrong daygetting confused while balancing a checkbook. For people who are getting on in years, such experiences can spark worries about whether cognitive skills are starting to slip.
Still, no one likes to think that dementia might be on the horizonwhich is one reason why cognitive decline often goes undiagnosed in the early stages. In fact, patients typically dont mention such problems to their doctors until three or four years after symptoms begin. Whats more, doctors themselves often fail to pick up on the early, subtle signs of dementia during routine medical examsand many doctors dont do the time-consuming tests necessary to diagnose cognitive impairment until the problem has progressed to later stages. Thats too badbecause early intervention may help delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment and/or provide the best opportunities for patients and their loved ones to make appropriate plans for the future regarding caregiving, finances, legal matters, etc.
DIY Screening Advantage
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Talking With A Doctor
After considering the persons symptoms and ordering screening tests, the doctor may offer a preliminary diagnosis or refer the person to a Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service clinic, neurologist, geriatrician or psychiatrist.Some people may be resistant to the idea of visiting a doctor. In some cases, people do not realise, or else they deny, that there is anything wrong with them. This can be due to the brain changes of dementia that interfere with the ability to recognise or appreciate the changes occurring. Others have an insight of the changes, but may be afraid of having their fears confirmed.One of the most effective ways to overcome this problem is to find another reason for a visit to the doctor. Perhaps suggest a check-up for a symptom that the person is willing to acknowledge, such as blood pressure, or suggest a review of a long-term condition or medication.Another way is to suggest that it is time for both of you to have a physical check-up. Any expressed anxiety by the person is an excellent opportunity to suggest a visit to the doctor. Be sure to provide a lot of reassurance. A calm, caring attitude at this time can help overcome the person’s very real worries and fears.Sometimes, your friend or family member may refuse to visit the doctor to ask about their symptoms. You can take a number of actions to get support including:
- talking with other carers who may have had to deal with similar situations
- contacting your local Aged Care Assessment Team
How To Persuade Your Parent To Get Tested
Your parent might be more aware of his or her memory problems than you realize. For example, Mom might be dropping hints that sheâs starting to struggle, but youâve ignored them because you might not want to accept that there could be a problem. If sheâs trying to subtly tell you that everything isnât OK, be supportive of getting things checked out rather than dismissive, says Teepa Snow, a registered occupational therapist and founder of Positive Approach to Care, a training, education and consulting company building a community of care for people living with dementia.
However, if youâre the one seeing signs of trouble and want to initiate a conversation with your parent, Snow suggests starting by asking a more general question. Try something like, âHow do you feel like youâre doing? Is everything as it has been or are there things that arenât the same?â
If your parent doesnât think anything is wrong and that thereâs no need to be tested, Snow recommends trying one of these approaches.
Reach out to a third party: Ask your parentâs primary care provider or even one of your parentâs friends to suggest that he or she get tested for dementia. Your parent might be more open to the suggestion if it comes from a professional or peer than from you, the child.
Let your parent know that youâre worried about her well-being and that youâre asking her to get checked out by a doctor as a favor to you.
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How To Diagnose Alzheimers Vs Dementia
Alzheimers is a progressive and fatal brain disorder. Dementia is not a specific disease, but an umbrella term that defines a syndrome and used to refer to a specific group of symptoms related to a decline in mental ability. Alzheimers is one of the most common causes of dementia. Both Alzheimers and dementia are diagnosed using a variety of different assessments and tests, including a physical exam, lab tests, cognitive and neuropsychological tests, and an analysis of changes in behavior.
Blood Tests To Check For Other Conditions
Your GP will arrange for blood tests to help exclude other causes of symptoms that can be confused with dementia.
In most cases, these blood tests will check:
- liver function
- haemoglobin A1c
- vitamin B12 and folate levels
If your doctor thinks you may have an infection, they may also ask you to do a urine test or other investigations.
Read more about blood tests.
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How Does Memory Loss Happen
If we think of memory as a store of information that sits inside our brain. Normally, when we want to remember something, we send a signal to our brain to go find and retrieve that piece of information. So far, so good. Unfortunately, sometimes this doesnt work properly. In this sense, memory loss happens when our brain is unable to find a piece of information in that store its lost or forgotten.
Can Dementia Suddenly Get Worse
The progression of dementia depends on the underlying disease. Some diseases have a rapid progression. Others progress more slowly. Any sudden change with either slow or rapid progression should be evaluated for another cause. In most cases, changes with dementia may seem like they came out of the blue when they actually may have been slowly developing in the background. The best way to prepare for changes and manage expectations is through information. Your doctor and medical team will be a valuable resource. There are a variety of educational resources that are also available through the Alzheimer’s Association.
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Blood Test Cost Implications
The cost of the test is around $1,250. For now, insurance does not cover this expense.
Thankfully, a person can take advantage of financial assistance programs. And BRING DOWN the expense to around $25-$20 for eligible candidates according to Joel Braunstein chief executive of C2N.
This is more affordable when compared with beta-amyloid tests using PET brain imaging which normally costs about $5,000 .
CSF samples typically cost anywhere from $800 to $ 1,000.
Early Diagnosis Of Dementia
KAREN S. SANTACRUZ, M.D., and DANIEL SWAGERTY, M.D., M.P.H., University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
Am Fam Physician. 2001 Feb 15 63:703-714.
See patient information handout on dementia, provided by an AAFP staff patient education writer.
Until recently, the most significant issue facing a family physician regarding the diagnosis and treatment of dementia was ruling out delirium and potentially treatable etiologies. However, as more treatment options become available, it will become increasingly important to diagnose dementia early. Dementia may be suspected if memory deficits are exhibited during the medical history and physical examination. Information from the patient’s family members, friends and caregivers may also point to signs of dementia. Distinguishing among age-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease may be difficult and requires evaluation of cognitive and functional status. Careful medical evaluation to exclude treatable causes of cognitive impairment is important. Patients with early dementia may benefit from formal neuropsychologic testing to aid in medical and social decision-making. Follow-up by the patient’s family physician is appropriate in most patients. However, a subspecialist may be helpful in the diagnosis and management of patients with dementia with an unusual presentation or following an atypical course.
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What Kind Of Scientific Study Was This
This was a cross-sectional study designed to evaluate the Test Your Memory test as a potential method for identifying Alzheimers disease.
Although there are several tests of memory and cognition available, the authors of the study reported that none of them meets three crucial requirements for widespread use by non-specialists, namely taking minimal time to administer, testing a reasonable range of cognitive functions and being able to detect mild Alzheimers disease. It was hoped that the TYM could fulfil all these requirements.
The TYM is completed by the patient themselves and involves 10 tasks with different scores for each. These are: orientation , ability to copy a sentence , semantic knowledge on long-established knowledge about facts, objects and meanings of words , calculation , verbal fluency , similarities , naming , two tasks of visuospatial abilities and recall of a copied sentence . The ability to perform the test was assigned a score of up to five points. In total, those taking the test could score up to 50 points, with a higher score indicating better memory and cognition.
The TYM was given to a control group of 540 people aged 18 to 95 who did not have dementia, 31 patients with non-Alzheimers forms of dementia and 108 people with amnesic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimers disease. Mild cognitive impairment is likely to progress to Alzheimers in individuals with certain cognitive examination scores.
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At What Age Can You Test Someone For The Signs Of Dementia
There is no one particular age that someone must meet before they can be assessed for signs of dementia, although dementia is more common in people over 65. Early-onset dementia can begin in people who are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Diagnosing dementia in its early stages is important as early treatment can slow the progression of symptoms and help to maintain mental functions.
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Who Can Benefit From Precivity Ad And How It Works
Precivity AD is designed for persons between the ages of 60-91. A prescribing physician will ship the blood samples of the person they are treating to be analyzed at C2Ns lab.
The results are normally sent back within ten business days.
A proprietary algorithm is used to calculate the results integrating the age of a person with beta-amyloid measurements and another protein known as apolipoprotein E which influences the risk of Alzheimers disease.
The results of the blood test are supposed to enhance the accuracy of clinical diagnosis by distinguishing Alzheimers dementia from memory loss that is brought about by other medical conditions.
Future Directions In Diagnosis Research
Considerable research effort is being put into the development of better tools for accurate and early diagnosis. Research continues to provide new insights that in the future may promote early detection and improved diagnosis of dementia, including:
- Better dementia assessment tests that are suitable for people from diverse educational, social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
- New computerised cognitive assessment tests which can improve the delivery of the test and simplify responses.
- Improved screening tools to allow dementia to be more effectively identified and diagnosed by GPs.
- The development of blood and spinal fluid tests to measure Alzheimers related protein levels and determine the risk of Alzheimers disease.
- The use of sophisticated brain imaging techniques and newly developed dyes to directly view abnormal Alzheimers protein deposits in the brain, yielding specific tests for Alzheimers disease.
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How Dementia Is Diagnosed
There is no single test for dementia, and it can be difficult to diagnose the specific type of dementia that a person has. If you want to find out if your parent has dementia or, specifically, Alzheimerâs disease, the first step is to schedule an appointment with your parentâs family care provider.
The primary care provider can do a screening that can help rule out whether your parentâs memory issues are being caused by any treatable conditions. Then, the doctor can refer your parent to a neurologist, neuropsychologist, geriatrician or geriatric psychiatrist for additional screening and tests. Snow suggests talking to the providers your parentâs doctor recommends as well as other providers in the same field to find the best fit for your parent. The Alzheimerâs Association has a guide to choosing a doctor to evaluate memory problems.
If the process is rushed and the provider misdiagnosis your parent, you might not be able to persuade your parent to be tested again. âYouâll get one shot at this,â Snow says. âDonât blow it.â
You want someone who is willing to do a thorough assessment and has experience diagnosing a variety of dementia-related diseases. A thorough exam typically will involve the following:
Conditions With Symptoms Similar To Dementia
Remember that many conditions have symptoms similar to dementia, so it is important not to assume that someone has dementia just because some of the above symptoms are present. Strokes, depression, excessive long-term alcohol consumption, infections, hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies and brain tumours can all cause dementia-like symptoms. Many of these conditions can be treated.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Dementia
Signs and symptoms of dementia result when once-healthy neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain stop working, lose connections with other brain cells, and die. While everyone loses some neurons as they age, people with dementia experience far greater loss.
The symptoms of dementia can vary and may include:
- Experiencing memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion
- Difficulty speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing
- Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
- Trouble handling money responsibly and paying bills
- Repeating questions
- Not caring about other peoples feelings
- Losing balance and problems with movement
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities can also develop dementia as they age, and recognizing their symptoms can be particularly difficult. Its important to consider a persons current abilities and to monitor for changes over time that could signal dementia.
Blood Tests Available Now
A blood test is available now, through your doctor, that delivers a result in about 10 days and accurately determines whether someone has Alzheimers disease. The Preclivity AD Test from C2N Diagnostics measures proteins in blood plasma that indicate a buildup of plaques known to cause dementia in peoples brains.
Cost
The cost of this Alzheimers blood test is $1,250, less expensive than a PET scan that looks for the same protein buildups. Unfortunately, the price tag cannot be covered by Medicare or Medicaid, but C2N says people who cant afford the test can qualify for a discount based on their income.
Does it Work?
C2N Diagnostics says they tested Preclivity AD in 686 people and compared it to the results of PET scans. When PET scans showed a high amount of amyloid-beta, a protein that turns to plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimers, the blood test agreed 92 percent of the time. When the PET scan showed no amyloid, the blood test showed the same about 77 percent of the time.
How to Get the Blood Test
The Preclivity AD Test has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is currently available only through a doctor, and can be sold by the company under rules for commercial laboratories. The test, in other words, is available despite lacking FDA approval, though C2N has said the FDA is planning on reviewing the test in 2021. The Alzheimers Association says it wont endorse the test until there is FDA approval.
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