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Science Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted with 15-point test
Science Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted with 15-point test | Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted with 15-point test |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Monday, 18 May 2009 | |
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Science DiscussionsDeborah E. Barnes, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and fellow researchers wanted to see if they would develop an effective way to predict late-life Alzheimer’s disease in older adults who would develop dementia over the next six years of their lives. They studied 3,375 people, with a mean age of 76 years, involved with the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study, who showed no signs of dementia at the start of the study. Women consisted of 59% of the people, and 15% of the people were African-American. In the end, the researchers developed a point system that involves the various risk factors for the disease. The risk factors used in the point system, with a maximum score of 15 given to any tested individual, were (as quoted from their paper): • older age (1–2 points), • poor cognitive test performance (2–4 points), • body mass index <18.5 (2 points), • 1 apolipoprotein E 4 alleles (1 point), • cerebral MRI findings of white matter disease (1 point) or ventricular enlargement (1 point), • internal carotid artery thickening on ultrasound (1 point), • history of bypass surgery (1 point), • slow physical performance (1 point), and • lack of alcohol consumption (1 point) The conclusions of the study is found on page two. |
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