Testing memory over four weeks could predict Alzheimer's disease risk
New research suggests that testing people's memory for four weeks may help identify those most at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease before it occurs.
Testing memory
It is important to note that this test showed that testing people's ability to retain their memories for longer periods of time could predict more accurately than conventional memory tests, which test memory over a half hour.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol, was designed to determine whether testing the memory of a list of words four weeks after they are first read predicted who will experience the greatest cognitive decline over the next year, even if the person does not have cognitive or memory problems at baseline.
46 cognitively healthy older adults (with an average age of 70.7 years) were recruited for this trial. Participants completed three memory tasks on which delayed recall was tested after 30 minutes and four weeks, as well as the ACE-III (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III), a test commonly used to detect cognitive problems, and an MRI of the brain. The ACE-III test was repeated after 12 months to assess changes in cognitive abilities.
Highly accurate results
This research found that the memory of 15 of the 46 participants declined over the course of the year and that four-week verbal memory tests better predicted cognitive decline in these healthy older adults than baseline clinical memory tests. The prediction was made even more accurate by combining the result of the four-week memory test with information from the MRI brain scan, which shows the size of a part of the brain responsible for memory that is damaged by Alzheimer's disease.
This long-term memory recall test could lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease. This is essential, because any future treatment that slows or stops the worsening of Alzheimer's disease will be more effective if it is given in the very early stages of the disease, and before significant memory problems are detectable with current tests.
A future test
The next step for researchers will be to test the specificity of this test to detect Alzheimer's disease in relation to other disorders that cause cognitive decline. To do this, the research team will compare the results of the long-term memory test in people with and without Alzheimer's disease, based on analysis of their cerebrospinal fluid - a very accurate but invasive method of detecting Alzheimer's disease.
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