self administered cognitive screening test (Test Your Memory, TYM)

Introduction

Scoring:

• 50 points total, cutoff score of 42/50, control average 47/50
• sensitivity 93%, specificity 86% for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
• TYM is more sensitive in detection of Alzheimer's disease than the mini-mental examination, sensitivity 93% vs 52%
• negative predictive value = 99% & positive predictive value = 42% with a prevalence of Alzheimer's disease of 10%
• patients with Alzheimer's disease scored an average of 33/50
• patients with non-Alzheimer dementias scored an average of 39/50

Procedure

• a series of 10 tasks on a double sided sheet of card with spaces for the patient to fill in
• the patient's ability to complete the test is an 11th task
• tasks are:
  • orientation (10 points)
  • ability to copy a sentence (2 points)
  • semantic knowledge (3 points)
  • calculation (4 points)
  • verbal fluency (4 points)
  • similarities (4 points)
  • naming (5 points),
  • visuospatial abilities ( 2 tasks, total 7 points)
  • recall of a copied sentence (6 points)
  • ability to do the test is also scored (5 points)
• possible total of 50 points

More general terms

• cognitive scale