How a 15-minute test could spot Alzheimer's disease early

A quarter of an hour test has been designed by researchers to spot early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

16:49 13 January 2014

A 15-minute test, which was designed by researchers from Ohio State University, can be taken at home to easily spot early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The condition affects more than 800,000 people in Britain.

The exam, which tests language ability, problem solving skills, reasoning, and memory, can be taken by hand or online.

Dr. Douglas Scharre, who developed the test with his team at Ohio State University, said: "What we found was that this self-administered test correlated very well with detailed cognitive testing.”

"If we catch this cognitive change really early, then we can start potential treatments much earlier than without having this test.

"We can give the test periodically and, the moment we notice any changes in their cognitive abilities, we can intervene much more rapidly.

"We are finding better treatments, and we know that patients do much better if they start the treatments sooner than later."

Dr. Scharre, who also serves as director of the Division of Cognitive Neurology and heads the Memory Disorders Research Center at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center, agreed that the test can help patients.

“Often physicians may not recognize subtle cognitive deficits during routine office visits. The 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.”