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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.

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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.

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