Reading tests could improve cognitive assessments of elderly from a wide range of educational backgrounds, providing a more accurate diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, according to researchers at Columbia University.

Currently, neuropsychologists base assessments on age, years of schooling and other factors even though African Americans do not perform as well as whites when they have completed the same number of years in school, according to researchers.

Postulating that the tests could be more accurate, the researchers investigated quality -- not quantity -- of education.

The study's 384 participants were chosen from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project -- a 10-year-old study of cognitive aging and dementia that currently includes about 2,800 people.

Of those participating, 192 were African Americans while 192 were non-Hispanic whites. All were over the age of 65, dementia-free and functioning normally in their daily lives.

In addition to neuropsychological tests, each person was given a reading test that required pronouncing a list of words that increased in difficulty.

Results of the study, appearing in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, showed that factoring in these reading scores eliminated differences found in the neuropsychological test assessments, pointing to a direct link between those who pronounced the more uncommon words and better quality education.

"The findings suggest that including an assessment of reading skills will help neuropsychologists know what scores to expect from elders with diverse educational backgrounds," said Dr. Jennifer Manly, lead author of the study and assistant professor of neuropsychology in the Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain.

The reading tests also could improve the accuracy of diagnoses among whites and members of other ethnic groups who had a poor education.

"Incorporating reading tests into our testing battery could help reduce misdiagnosis of cognitive impairment among people with low reading levels regardless of race," Manly said.

Other Sources: Columbia University