A study involving nearly 27,000 older adults on five continents found that nearly 1 in 10 met criteria for pre-dementia based on a simple test that measures how fast people walk and whether they have cognitive complaints, reports [s]Science Newsline[/s]. People who tested positive for pre-dementia were twice as likely as others to develop dementia within 12 years. The study, led by scientists at [b]Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University[/b] and [b]Montefiore Medical Centre[/b] used the new test diagnoses motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), which relies on measuring gait speed and asking a few simple questions about a patient's cognitive abilities, both of which take just seconds. The test is not reliant on the latest medical technology and can be done in a clinical setting. Early diagnosis is critical because it allows time to identify and possibly treat the underlying causes of the disease, which may delay or even prevent the onset of dementia in some cases.
[link url=http://www.sciencenewsline.com/articles/2014072522300002.html]Full Science Newsline report[/link]
[link url=http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2014/07/16/WNL.0000000000000717.short?sid=87a4b9d0-a2a6-4d30-b5a7-9ff589d42f80]Neurology abstract[/link]