Complain about a product or service

Word Recall An Alzheimer’s Tip-Off?

September 8, 2005
British scientists think that how well individuals recall the names of animals and fruits provides an early clue to who is suffering the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of York in Britain found that people who were in the early stages of the affliction could not write down as many animal and fruit names as healthy people.

• Too Much Selenium Can Increase Cholesterol • Money Management Problems Could Be Alzheimer's Warning • Mediterranean Diet Linked With Lower Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease • High Cholesterol In Midlife Raises Risk Of Late-Life Dementia • Some Blood Pressure Drugs May Help Protect Against Dementia • Study Suggests Earlier Alzheimer's Treatment • Alzheimer's Cases Rise Among "Oldest Old" • Researchers Find Caffeine Effective Alzheimer’s Treatment • Landmark Alzheimer's Drug Cleared For Clinical Trials • Blood Test May Diagnose Alzheimer's • Diet May Be Factor in Memory Retention • Insulin May Combat Alzheimer's • Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Risks of Alzheimer's • Daily Pill Said To Stop Alzheimer's • Low Levels of 'Good Cholesterol' Linked to Memory Loss, Dementia Risk • Chemical in Celery May Fight Alzheimer's • Dementia Linked To Obesity • Studies Find Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer's --- • Index to all Alzheimer's stories

Patients in the study had an average age of 77. They were given one minute to write down as many names of animals as they could recall. They were then given the same amount of time to write down the names of fruits.

The findings show that people with early Alzheimer’s retained very familiar words but had difficulty with words learned later in life or used infrequently. For example, those with early Alzheimer’s were more likely to list “dog” and “cat” as animals, and not “elephant” or “leopard.”

Andy Ellis of York University, one of the study authors, said it is possible to analyze the characteristics of the words produced by the subjects and determine who was in the Alzheimer’s group.

Ellis says the research is important because it could enable doctors, and even families, to determine whether an older person is having a simple memory lapse or is suffering from something more serious. Early detection can enable the start of treatment that can slow the progression of the incurable disease.

Alzheimer's affects an estimated 12 million people worldwide. It’s a leading cause of dementia in adults and its prevalence is expected to increase with an aging population.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.