New dementia test enables diagnosis in 15 minutes
A phone call of only 15 minutes is sufficient to reliably distinguish mentally healthy people from patients with mild cognitive disorders and to differentiate mild forms of dementia from pronounced Alzheimer’s disease. This is the result of a comparative study from India.
Follow-up examinations are especially important in the case of dementia
These ongoing follow-up examinations are especially important in the case of neurological deficits – regardless of whether they are mild forms of cognitive disorders or obvious Alzheimer’s disease. Experts already have a wide range of testing tools at their disposal, with which it is possible not only to distinguish different forms of the disease, but also to reliably determine the development of the disease. However, such tests are expensive and can easily overwhelm health systems, especially in densely populated and less developed regions of the world.
Telephone conversation test
In order to extend the range of these assessment tools, Indian experts have developed a new type of test that can also be done in a short phone call. The so-called FACT . test (fact = fifteen minute cognition assessment over the phone) It consists of 27 items by which attention, orientation, memory performance, language skills and the ability to act can be determined in the people surveyed. The study author, Dr. Ratnavalli Ellajosyula of Manipal Hospital, Bangalore.
In order to determine if FACT is as reliable as the established test procedures, Indian scientists tested the questionnaire under study conditions. For this purpose, telephone interviews were conducted with 22 patients with mild cognitive disorders, another 20 with Alzheimer’s disease and 23 healthy participants appropriate for their age and education level. Participating patients underwent a confirmatory test (Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination Test, ACE III) in the hospital 1 week prior.
FACT Advances Alzheimer’s Studies
The results presented make the developers optimistic: “We were able to show that FACT is an effective tool comparable to ACE III for identifying mild cognitive disorders and for monitoring Alzheimer’s patients,” says Dr. Ellagosyula. “This opens up new possibilities for everyday clinical practice and research in the field of early intervention and in monitoring the progressive decline of cognitive abilities.”
The researchers hypothesize that FACT could be used as a screening tool in future epidemiological studies. This can avoid the problem of people not cooperating or not being found during face-to-face interviews. Dr. says. Ellagosyula. “FACT can also be used in a number of ways: to diagnose mild cognitive impairments, to monitor whether they progress to Alzheimer’s disease, to measure disease progression and even to assess how patients respond to medications, for example in a working study. More studies are needed and we hope that it will be used testing in other countries, particularly in resource-poor areas.”
A phone call of only 15 minutes is sufficient to reliably distinguish mentally healthy people from patients with mild cognitive disorders and to differentiate mild forms of dementia from pronounced Alzheimer’s disease. This is the result of a comparative study from India.
Follow-up examinations are especially important in the case of dementia
These ongoing follow-up examinations are especially important in the case of neurological deficits – regardless of whether they are mild forms of cognitive disorders or obvious Alzheimer’s disease. Experts already have a wide range of testing tools at their disposal, with which it is possible not only to distinguish different forms of the disease, but also to reliably determine the development of the disease. However, such tests are expensive and can easily overwhelm health systems, especially in densely populated and less developed regions of the world.
Telephone conversation test
In order to extend the range of these assessment tools, Indian experts have developed a new type of test that can also be done in a short phone call. The so-called FACT . test (fact = fifteen minute cognition assessment over the phone) It consists of 27 items by which attention, orientation, memory performance, language skills and the ability to act can be determined in the people surveyed. The study author, Dr. Ratnavalli Ellajosyula of Manipal Hospital, Bangalore.
In order to determine if FACT is as reliable as the established test procedures, Indian scientists tested the questionnaire under study conditions. For this purpose, telephone interviews were conducted with 22 patients with mild cognitive disorders, another 20 with Alzheimer’s disease and 23 healthy participants appropriate for their age and education level. Participating patients underwent a confirmatory test (Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination Test, ACE III) in the hospital 1 week prior.
FACT Advances Alzheimer’s Studies
The results presented make the developers optimistic: “We were able to show that FACT is an effective tool comparable to ACE III for identifying mild cognitive disorders and for monitoring Alzheimer’s patients,” says Dr. Ellagosyula. “This opens up new possibilities for everyday clinical practice and research in the field of early intervention and in monitoring the progressive decline of cognitive abilities.”
The researchers hypothesize that FACT could be used as a screening tool in future epidemiological studies. This can avoid the problem of people not cooperating or not being found during face-to-face interviews. Dr. says. Ellagosyula. “FACT can also be used in a number of ways: to diagnose mild cognitive impairments, to monitor whether they progress to Alzheimer’s disease, to measure disease progression and even to assess how patients respond to medications, for example in a working study. More studies are needed and we hope that it will be used testing in other countries, particularly in resource-poor areas.”
