11.14.2005
National Alzheimer's Awareness Month....Get a Free Test
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This month is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness month in the United States. I am happy to say that in cooperation with the Alzheimer's Association, we are offering a quick free test that visitors to our site can take.
After you complete the test, you will decide if you want to track your score or not. The benefit of tracking your score, like tracking something you bought at Amazon.com or EBay, is that our system will keep track of it over time. In this particular series of pages, this is voluntary. We have also used our simplest test - which measures reaction time - or, how fast your brain processes information. It's like measuring the number of ohms in a circuit (for you electricians or electrical engineers) and the level of impedance -but it applies to your brain.
Why is it important? A number of researchers (at least 3 major studies have been announced in the past 12 months or so) have included reaction time measurements in studies of either longevity or dementia. While it is true that many factors can affect reaction times, and also many physical conditions (not just Alzheimer's) it's also true that slow reaction times can signal a lack of attentiveness, and therefore potential warning signs of early cognitive impairment. If you have further questions, it's a good idea to talk to the Alzheimer's Association or see your physician, who can recommend a variety of personalized tests and inteviews as next steps.
