New Oral Test May Detect Alzheimer's During Early Stages

A new oral test may make it easier to detect the early onset of Alzheimer's disease and allow for sufferers to get proper medical attention that could potentially reverse or slow the disease.

The Alzheimer's Quick Test times how long it takes patients to name colors and shapes. The entire test takes less than five minutes to administer and to be scored by a professional. Taking too long to complete the test could indicate a problem.

According to the Psychological Corporation, which developed the quick test, other Alzheimer's tests gauge general intellectual functions and memory abilities. The quick test assesses cognitive abilities such as attention, processing speed, working memory and retrieval, identifying diminished performance even when clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's are minimal.

"This new tool is a giant leap forward in screening for and diagnosing Alzheimer's and other temporo-parietal lobe disorders that will enable health care professionals, their patients and patients' families to make informed decisions about medical intervention and care giving, " said Aurelio Prifitera, president of the San Antonio-based Psychological Corporation

The test is made to be used by a wide range of health professionals: physicians, psychologists, pharmaceutical manufacturers and allied health professionals such as speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists.

Other sources: Psychological Corporation