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Is There a Test to Determine Dementia?

Dementia is defined most simply as the loss of the ability to think. Some possible causes are Alzheimer's Disease and vascular problems. There are several tests a doctor can use to detect and diagnose dementia.

  1. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

    • The MMSE is a questionnaire that measures cognitive ability. Because it takes several minutes to complete, and its results can be skewed by a patient's educational level, some doctors may initially use one of several simpler tests. (Ref 1)

    Clock-Drawing

    • To test her ability to display time, the doctor may ask the patient to draw a clock with the hands pointing to a certain time. (Ref 1)

    Word Repetition

    • The doctor gives the patient a list of simple words and asks him to repeat them back. This tests both memory and language skills. (Ref 1)

    Language

    • The doctor asks the patient to name as many things in a certain category as she can within a brief period of the time. If the patient cannot name ten or more, dementia may be present. (Ref 1)

    New Research

    • Researchers at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Great Britain recently developed a task-completion test for dementia. Their study showed that the test, called "TYM" (Test Your Memory), detected 93 percent of patients with Alzheimer's Disease. (Ref 2)

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