Verbal Memory Test Is Best Predictor of Alzheimer's

The incidence of Alzheimer''s disease is expected to increase as the elderly population grows. Early diagnosis and treatment will be the key to lessening the disease''s worst effects. But spotting the disease before its symptoms become serious (and harm is already done) is a challenge for health professionals. A new study by psychologists at the University of Toronto has determined that the best predictor of future Alzheimer''s type dementia is a verbal memory test called the California Verbal Learning Test.

To read the American Psychological Association's press release on the study, go to: www.apa.org/releases/alzheimer_detect.html