The journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia has published a paper defining a European standard for the cognitive assessment of patients presenting to memory clinics. The tests covered in the paper include advanced tests sensitive to the typical memory deficits of Alzheimer’s disease, new tests sensitive to different neurodegenerative conditions (e.g. frontotemporal dementia), and the most effective traditionally-used tests.
The consensus was led by Dr Marina Boccardi at DZNE-Rostock and the list of contributing authors includes Alzheimer Europe Director Jean Georges, alongside other European experts on Alzheimer’s disease and on cognitive assessment; methodologists; clinical neuropsychologists; and neurologists from academic and non-academic memory clinics. Co-led by the University of Geneva and hosted by the European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), the consensus also involved experts from United States and Australia.
Some of the benefits of developing a standard assessment across European memory clinics are:
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Results from cognitive assessments would be immediately comparable across centres, while a standard assessment would allow comparisons with results from any clinic, as is the case for blood tests.
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This in turn would make for greater reliability and efficiency, and would lower costs.
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Standard assessment would also benefit research, allowing researchers to select homogeneous participants and to pool data from different centres (with the patients’ consent).
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All this would align clinical activities with the most recent scientific advancements on new biomarkers or treatment options, further closing the gap between dementia care and the standard of care of other diseases already benefitting from modern and standardised clinical procedures.
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As well as reducing costs and increasing reliability of diagnosis, this standard will help early detection of Alzheimer’s and related disorders, allowing greater access to improved and personalised treatment.
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.12365
