University of Oxford scientists, part-funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, have found language and memory tests can reliably predict when a healthy elderly person is likely to develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a dementia precursor.
University of Oxford scientists, part-funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, have found language and memory tests can reliably predict when a healthy elderly person is likely to develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a frequent precursor to dementia. The findings will help doctors monitor people with memory complaints and help researchers understand changes in the brain that could be very early signs of dementia.
For the study, published in Neurology today (3rd Nov), 241 healthy elderly participants were followed for up to 20 years and assessed regularly using the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG).
Language skills, such as verbal fluency and comprehension, were the strongest predictor of the time it took for a healthy person to develop MCI. This fits in with other research that shows the very early stages of dementia are associated with linguistic problems.
In total, 91 of the participants developed MCI. The time it took for a person to develop MCI was 14% shorter for each five years of age, 17% shorter for each point lower in the language test and 15% shorter for each point lower in the memory test. In other words older people and those scoring lower on the language or memory tests were more likely to develop MCI more quickly.
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said:
“This significant long-term study shows how subtle, but measurable, problems with language or memory can predict when a healthy elderly person is likely to develop Mild Cognitive Impairment, which frequently develops into dementia.
“Early intervention will be crucial for future dementia treatments. Being able to spot and measure the initial stages of dementia is a crucial challenge if we are to improve drug testing and lay the groundwork for prevention trials.
“700,000 people in the UK live with dementia; much more research is needed if we are to stop that number doubling within a generation.”
Source: Alzheimers Research Trust
