Find out the signs by taking a memory test on your smartphone

The app aims to help in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Those affected can check their memory performance via smartphone.

More and more people are suffering from dementia – and this trend is on the rise. Although there is currently no cure for neurodegenerative disease, the earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to combat symptoms and delay disease progression. Also according to information from Federal Ministry of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth For example, medications may be used to relieve symptoms in the early and middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. That's why Alzheimer's disease research focuses, among other things, on developing new diagnostic options. Scientists are now investigating the impact of a memory test with which people can independently diagnose the first symptoms of Alzheimer's on their mobile phones Doctors newspaper mentioned.

Dementia: Smartphone memory test detects signs of Alzheimer's disease

the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Reports indicate that mild cognitive impairments, which can be an indicator of Alzheimer's disease, can be detected with high accuracy using special test tasks on a smartphone. This is based on the results of A Stady DZNE, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In cooperation with the Magdeburg company “neotiv”, which developed the special memory test, they examined its effectiveness. The results of the study were published in the specialized journal npj digital medicine published.

About 200 women and men over the age of 60 participated in the study. This included 97 people with no cognitive impairments, 43 people with mild cognitive impairments, and 59 participants with self-perceived but unmeasurable memory problems. The diagnosis is made using an already defined procedure, which includes, among others, memory and language tasks. Meanwhile, test participants used the neotiv app to take multiple memory tests using their smartphones or tablets over a period of at least six weeks. Three types of memory tasks were used to target different areas of the brain that can be affected at different stages of Alzheimer's disease. Participants tested themselves using the app. They also always completed tests wherever it was convenient for them.

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Study shows people could test themselves – potential risks of self-diagnosis

The study results show that the app can detect mild cognitive impairments with high accuracy. According to the study authors, identification is comparable to or even superior to many other recently reported uncontrolled or clinically supervised digital cognitive tests. They also point out that the test could be used primarily in clinical studies and in healthcare. The study also showed that people are able to administer the tests themselves. However, researchers have not determined the extent to which the tests can be used for self-diagnosis. The study authors also do not address the potential risks and consequences that could be associated with self-diagnosis without consulting a doctor.