Screening for amnestic mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease with M@T (Memory Alteration Test) in the primary care population

• Published in: International journal of geriatric psychiatry 2007-04, Vol.22 (4), p.294-304
• Main Authors: Rami, L., Molinuevo, J. L., Sanchez-Valle, R., Bosch, B., Villar, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Alzheimer's disease; Amnesia - diagnosis; Amnesia - psychology; Attention; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; cognition disorders; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; diagnosis; Early Diagnosis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geriatric Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Geriatric psychiatry; Geriatric psychology; Geriatrics; Humans; Learning disabilities; Male; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Mental Recall; Mental Status Schedule - statistics & numerical data; mild cognitive impairment; neuropsychological tests; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Prevention and actions; Primary care; Primary Health Care; Psychoanalysis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; psychometrics; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reproducibility of Results; Retention (Psychology); Spain; Verbal Learning
• ISSN: 0885-6230; 1099-1166
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.1672

Objectives To design and validate a new screening test for amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (A‐MCI) and early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods We develop a verbal episodic and semantic memory test: the Memory Alteration Test (M@T). Discriminative validity was assessed in a population sample of 400 aged individuals from primary care population centres in Barcelona, Spain, 50 patients with A‐MCI according to Petersen et al. criteria, and 66 with early AD (Global Deterioration Scale—4 stage) according to the NINCDS‐ADRDA criteria. Results The M@T is quick, 5‐min, and easy to administer and to score. M@T mean scores were significantly different between all groups: 41.4 (SD = 4.9) in the primary care population, 31.5 (SD = 3.9) in the A‐MCI group and 21.8 (SD = 4.9) in early AD. A cut‐off score of 37 points had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 79% for A‐MCI diagnosis (AUC = 0.932). A cut‐off score of 28 points had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 98% for early AD diagnosis (AUC = 0.99) and a sensitivity of 87 % and specificity of 82% to differentiate between A‐MCI and AD patients. Conclusion The M@T provides efficient and valid screening for A‐MCI and early stage AD, and discriminates between A‐MCI and early AD patients. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.