(Press-News.org) Contact information: Shannon McCormick
shannon@mediasourcetv.com
614-477-2719
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Study: At-home test can spot early Alzheimer's
Finding symptoms early is crucial to treatment, at-home paper test can help
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirming the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening large numbers of people are published in the January issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
Memory disorders researchers visited 45 community events where they asked people to take a simple, self-administered test to screen for early cognitive loss or dementia. Of the 1047 people who took the simple pen-and-paper test, 28 percent were identified with cognitive impairment, said Dr. Douglas Scharre, who developed the test with his team at Ohio State.
The SAGE test can also be taken at home by patients, who can then share the results with their physicians to help spot early symptoms of cognitive issues such as early dementia or Alzheimer's disease, said Scharre, who is director of the Division of Cognitive Neurology and heads the Memory Disorders Research Center at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center. Often physicians may not recognize subtle cognitive deficits during routine office visits, he said.
"What we found was that this SAGE self-administered test correlated very well with detailed cognitive testing," Scharre said. "If we catch this cognitive change really early, then we can start potential treatments much earlier than without having this test."
VIDEO:
Researchers have developed an at-home test that can help doctors spot early symptoms of cognitive issues in their patients, like Alzheimer's disease. Best of all, the test is cheap, self-administered,...
Click here for more information.
While the test does not diagnose problems like Alzheimer's, it does allow doctors to get a baseline of cognitive function in their patients, so they can follow them for these problems over time. "We can give them the test periodically and, the moment we notice any changes in their cognitive abilities, we can intervene much more rapidly," Scharre said.
The SAGE test could also provide health care providers and caregivers an earlier indication of life-changing events that could lie ahead. Earlier research by Scharre found that four out of five people (80 percent) with mild thinking and memory (cognitive) issues will be detected by this test, and 95 percent of people without issues will have normal SAGE scores.
In this study, researchers found that SAGE's self-administered feature, pen-and-paper format, and four equivalent interchangeable forms allows it to be given in almost any setting, doesn't require any staff time to administer or to set up a computer, and makes it practical to rapidly screen large numbers of individuals in the community at the same time.
Study participants were ages 50 or older who had been recruited from a wide variety of community locations and events, including senior centers, health fairs, educational talks to lay public, independent and assisted-living facilities, and free memory screens through newspaper advertisement. The study excluded individuals who indicated that they had taken SAGE previously.
AUDIO:
Researchers have developed an at-home test that can help doctors spot early symptoms of cognitive issues in their patients, like Alzheimer's disease. Best of all, the test is cheap, self-administered,...
Click here for more information.
Participants are tested on orientation (month + date + year); language (verbal fluency + picture naming); reasoning/computation (abstraction + calculation); visuospatial (three-dimensional construction + clock drawing); executive (problem solving) and memory abilities.
Participants were provided their score and written information about SAGE, and were advised to show it to their physician for interpretation and potential further screening or evaluation based on their health history. All were told that this test represented their baseline to be compared to future re-screening by their physician. Missing six or more points on the 22-point SAGE test usually warrants additional follow-up by the physician.
Scharre, who specializes in treating Alzheimer's disease, said treatments for Alzheimer's and dementia are more effective when started in the earliest stage of the disease. Unfortunately, patients with Alzheimer's disease often wait three to four years after their symptoms first appear to seek treatment.
Some 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and those numbers are expected to almost triple by 2050. An additional 3 percent to 22 percent of those over 60 years of age are thought to currently meet criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment as well, Scharre said.
"Hopefully, this test will help change those situations," Scharre said. "We are finding better treatments, and we know that patients do much better if they start the treatments sooner than later."
INFORMATION:
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Neuroscience Program features 170 researchers and clinicians collaborating in neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry and neuroscience research to create better methods of prevention, detection and treatment for patients.
Study: At-home test can spot early Alzheimer's
Finding symptoms early is crucial to treatment, at-home paper test can help
2014-01-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
School drug tests don't work, but 'positive climate' might
2014-01-13
School drug tests don't work, but 'positive climate' might
PISCATAWAY, NJ – School drug testing does not deter teenagers from smoking marijuana, but creating a "positive school climate" just might, according to research reported in the ...
Brief mental training sessions have long-lasting benefits for seniors' cognition and everyday function
2014-01-13
Brief mental training sessions have long-lasting benefits for seniors' cognition and everyday function
Older adults who received as few as 10 sessions of mental (cognitive) training showed improvements in reasoning ability and speed-of-processing when compared with untrained ...
Advanced radiation therapy for head and neck cancer may be better than traditional radiation at preventing side effects and cancer recurrence
2014-01-13
Advanced radiation therapy for head and neck cancer may be better than traditional radiation at preventing side effects and cancer recurrence
Patients with head and neck cancer who are treated with an advanced form of radiation therapy may experience fewer side effects and ...
Study finds more targeted form of radiation improves survival in patients with head and neck cancers
2014-01-13
Study finds more targeted form of radiation improves survival in patients with head and neck cancers
IMRT reduces side effects, also improves outcomes
HOUSTON — Patients with cancers of the head and neck who received intensity-modulated ...
White parents more likely to use age-appropriate car seats than non-whites
2014-01-13
White parents more likely to use age-appropriate car seats than non-whites
Race of parents remains a key predictor of whether children will be placed in the right safety seat, according to new U-M study
Ann Arbor, Mich. — White parents reported higher ...
Fear of being too skinny may put teen boys at risk for depression, steroid use
2014-01-13
Fear of being too skinny may put teen boys at risk for depression, steroid use
Steroid use more likely among depressed and bullying victims, study finds
WASHINGTON – Teenage boys who think they're too skinny when they are actually a healthy weight are ...
'Superlens' extends range of wireless power transfer
2014-01-11
'Superlens' extends range of wireless power transfer
Engineers accomplish the first relatively long-range wireless power transfer by 'beaming' electromagnetic fields
DURHAM, N.C. -- Inventor Nikola Tesla imagined the technology to transmit energy through thin air almost ...
Social media helps users embrace differences and provide support to one another, MU study finds
2014-01-11
Social media helps users embrace differences and provide support to one another, MU study finds
Lady Gaga enables followers to embrace their awkwardness while deepening the perceived relationship they feel they have with the celebrity
COLUMBIA, Mo. ...
Study: Autophagy predicts which cancer cells live and die when faced with anti-cancer drugs
2014-01-11
Study: Autophagy predicts which cancer cells live and die when faced with anti-cancer drugs
When a tumor is treated with an anti-cancer drug, some cells die and, unfortunately, some cells tend to live. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the ...
Text messaging boosts flu vaccine rates in pregnant women
2014-01-11
Text messaging boosts flu vaccine rates in pregnant women
January 10, 2014 --A study by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health evaluated the impact of text messaging reminders for influenza vaccine in a low-income obstetric ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
[Press-News.org] Study: At-home test can spot early Alzheimer'sFinding symptoms early is crucial to treatment, at-home paper test can help