Visual Association Test, MMSE Highly Predictive of Dementia in Older Adults

A study published in the Annals of Family Medicine found the Visual Association Test (VAT) of associative memory is a valuable tool for assessing dementia risk in people with a small decline on the 30-point Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), reports Neurology Advisor . A total of 2,690 subjects were tested, and investigators evaluated the change in MMSE score over two years along with the VAT score at two years to see whether these tests could predict dementia diagnosis in the following four to six years. Electronic health records supplied information on dementia status at two-year intervals. A lowering of the total MMSE score of two points over a two-year period correlated with greater odds for developing dementia, based on logistic regression analysis. When the VAT score was imperfect and the MMSE score decline one point over two years, there were additional higher odds for developing dementia. Furthermore, the predictive value of a two- or three-point MMSE score reduction rose when the VAT score was imperfect. A one-point reduction on the MMSE score was linked with a doubled risk for dementia if the VAT score was imperfect. Researchers determined the VAT "can help to distinguish those at increased risk of developing dementia (requiring counseling, additional examination, or both) from those in whom watchful waiting is justified."