Alzheimer’s Prediction May Be Found in Writing Tests (The New York Times):
… the researchers looked at a group of 80 men and women in their 80s — half had Alzheimer’s and the others did not. But, seven and a half years earlier, all had been cognitively normal. [Read more…] about Study: Artificial intelligence program identifies linguistic markers that predict, with 70% accuracy, who gets Alzheimer’s Disease years later
Baycrest memory experts launch ‘thermometer’ for the mind (Press release):
“According to the test’s creators, the majority of people will score in the normal, healthy range for their age – which will help reassure the “worried well”. For the small percentage (approximately 2 — 3%) that scores below average for [Read more…] about New online cognitive self-assessment by Cogniciti (Baycrest): a thermometer for the mind?
(Editor’s Note: I recently came across an excellent book and resource, The Alzheimer’s 
Action Plan: The Experts’ Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems
—
As it turns out, Jane did not have Alzheimer’s. She consulted a doctor, who, in docspeak, told her that the passage of time (getting older) had taken a slight toll on her once-superquick memory. She was slowing down a little, and if she relaxed, the name or date or other bit of information she needed would come to her soon enough. She was still good at her job and home life. She had simply joined the ranks of the worried well.
Normal brain aging, beginning as early as the forties in some people, may include:
- Taking longer to learn or remember information
- Having difficulty paying attention or concentrating in the midst of distractions
- Forgetting such basics as an anniversary or the names of friends
- Needing more reminders or memory cues, such as prominent appointment calendars, reminder notes, a phone with a wellstocked speed dial
Although they may need some assistance, older people without a mental disorder retain their ability to do their errands, handle money, find their way to familiar areas, and behave appropriately.
How does this compare to a person with Alzheimer’s? When Alzheimer’s slows the brain’s machinery, people begin to lose their ability to [Read more…] about Alzheimer’s Early and Accurate Diagnosis: Normal Aging vs. Alzheimer’s Disease
With three years still left until publication, the fights over the new version of the psychiatric diagnostic manual, the DSM‑V, are hotting up and The New York Times has a 
concise article that covers most of the main point of contention.
- “What you have in the end, Mr. Shorter said, “is this process of sorting the deck of symptoms into syndromes, and the outcome all depends on how the cards fall.
- Psychiatrists involved in preparing the new manual contend that it is too early to say for sure which cards will be added and which dropped.
Although I doubt the DSM committee are using that exact metaphor, it certainly illustrates the point that the process requires a certain degree of value-judgement.
It’s interesting, however, that the public debate is currently focused on whether certain diagnoses should be included or not, rather than whether diagnosis itself is useful for psychiatry.
We’ve had psychometrics for a good 100 years that allow us to measure dimensions of human experience and performance with a much greater degree of accuracy than [Read more…] about Shall we question the brand new book of human troubles
