Study: Test Errors May Signal Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

A test used currently to identify memory difficulties may also make it possible to predict the development of Alzheimer s disease decades later and increase the window of opportunity for preventative treatment.

The test is the Benton Visual Retention Test, which measures visual perception and memory. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine theorized that a poor performance on the test may represent an early expression of Alzheimer s disease. Their findings are reported in the April issue of Neurology.

Their study involved 1,425 participants from a multidisciplinary study of normal aging conducted by the National Institute on Aging. All of them were older than 60 years old.

The researchers found that participants who made six or more errors on the test versus those who made six or less errors were 83 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer s disease 10 to 15 years later.

Other sources: Neurology, 60(7):1089-93