Could 'famous faces test' be used to spot dementia?

Conclusion This study provides some preliminary findings of use of the NUFFACE Test in people with primary progressive aphasia – a rare and specific form of early dementia. One of the main limitations of this study was that it was very small, including only 30 people with PPA. A small sample size decreases the reliability of the study findings; if another sample of people with PPA were examined, the results could be different. Another limitation is that it only included people with PPA who were relatively young and in the early stages of disease. Findings may not be applicable to other people in later stages or severities of PPA who tend to have more wide ranging symptoms. Most importantly, the findings may not be applicable to people with other forms of early-onset dementia. Further studies in larger populations of people with PPA and different types of early-onset dementia are required to draw further conclusions about use of the NUFFACE Test as a useful tool in clinical practice. Certainly no assumptions should be made about the applicability of these findings to people with the more common types of dementia seen in older age, such as Alzheimer’s.  Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Links To The Headlines Testing whether patients recognise Princess Diana and Elvis could help diagnose dementia. The Daily Telegraph, August 12 2013 Test of famous faces 'helps to spot early dementia'. BBC News, August 13 2013 Dementia: ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Older people Mental health Source Type: news