New quick test may detect Alzheimer’s at annual physical exam

While the latest medications can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, none are able to reverse its devastating effects, making early detection the key to Alzheimer’s patients maintaining a good quality of life for as long as possible.

Now, a new device may allow patients to take a brief, inexpensive test that could even be administered as part of a routine yearly checkup at a doctor’s office to detect mild cognitive impairment, which is often the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s. The device, developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, is expected to be commercialised later this year.

Current assessment tests for detecting early Alzheimer’s typically are taken with a pen and paper or at a computer terminal and take about 90 minutes. They must be given by a trained technician in a quiet environment, because any distractions can influence the patient’s score and reduce the test’s effectiveness. Because of their length and expense, the tests are not used as regular screening tools and typically are given only after there is obvious cognitive impairment such as forgetfulness or unsafe behaviour.

The Georgia Tech and Emory device, called DETECT, gives individuals a roughly 10-minute test designed to gauge reaction time and memory – functions that, when impaired, are associated with the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The test is a specially modified, shortened version of the traditional pen-and-paper test and could be given repeatedly by doctors to evaluate any changes in a person’s cognitive functions.

“We really envision this to be part of the normal preventative care a patient receives from a general practitioner,” said Michelle LaPlaca, PhD, one of the creators of the device and an associate professor at Georgia Tech and Emory University. “It would be part of a regular preventative medicine exam much like a PSA test or ECG (electrocardiogram), serving as a cognitive impairment vital sign of sorts.”

Preliminary analysis of the first 100 patients of a 400-person clinical study being conducted at Emory’s Wesley Woods Center has shown that the 10-minute DETECT test has similar accuracy to the 90-minute “Gold Standard” pen-and-paper test.

The DETECT device is designed to be administered while a patient is still healthy, tracking any abnormal decreases in the patient’s cognitive performance over time. If a patient’s performance declines outside the normal range, the patient would then undergo additional testing and care from a neurologist, neuropsychologist or other specialist.