
SAGE: A Test to Detect Signs of Alzheimer's and Dementia - sytelus
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/brain-spine-neuro/memory-disorders/sage
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sytelus
From: [https://www.alzheimers.net/1-28-15-SAGE-alzheimers-
examinati...](https://www.alzheimers.net/1-28-15-SAGE-alzheimers-examination/)

The latest study concerning SAGE evaluated[1] its effectiveness as a cognitive
screening assessment tool in community settings. Researchers evaluated over
1,000 participants over the age of 50 from 45 community events. The scores on
the test range from 22 — indicating normal cognition — to 15 — signifying mild
cognitive impairment — and a score below 14 may indicate the presence of
dementia. The study found that when the test was given to its participants
from over 45 different events:

\- The average score for SAGE was 17.8%

\- 71.6% of the people that took the test had normal cognition

\- 10.4% had mild cognitive impairment

\- 18% had dementia

[1] [https://www.alzheimers.net/1-7-15-non-invasive-method-
detect...](https://www.alzheimers.net/1-7-15-non-invasive-method-detect-
alzheimers)

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ketsa
Sadly US centered test.

We dont even know whats a nickel or a quarter...

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edem
Why don't they learn to use standardized measurement units...

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troydavis
One of the tests:
[https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/-/media/files/wexnermedical/pa...](https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/-/media/files/wexnermedical/patient-
care/healthcare-services/brain-spine-neuro/memory-disorders/sage/forms/sage-
form-1-us.pdf?la=en)

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IAmGraydon
I've taken the SAGE test on several occasions, but I remember it having a
section where you have to memorize 4 words early in the test and then recall
them later. There was also a section where you had to name as many objects of
a class that started with a particular letter as possible in a limited time
(as many animals that start with the letter S as possible in 30 seconds).
These two sections were the hardest by far, and seem to be removed from this
version. Why is that? This version of SAGE is so easy, it seems that you would
have to suffer from severe dementia to score anything less than perfect.

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d0mine
There is "I have finished/done" phrase mentioned in the middle of the test to
answer later "Have you finished?"/"Are you done?" question at the end of the
test (though it seems easier than memorizing 4 words compared to 3 words that
form a meaningful phrase that is the answer to the immediate suggestive
question).

There is a question on naming 12 different things in a kitchen/countries (also
easier -- no time limit, no constraint on the first letter).

"The test has a sensitivity of 79 percent and a false positive rate of 5
percent in detecting cognitive impairment from normal subjects." btw, you
don't need the perfect score to be considered "normal" by the test.

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londons_explore
I'd like to see a harder version of this test (designed to detect milder
impairments), and I'd like the test to be auto-generated so I can run the same
test on myself for example once per month so I can draw a graph of any decline
in performance.

An online version could also hide information and ask you to recall it, or
time how long tasks take.

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forapurpose
How accurate is this test? The .edu address lends credibility but that's all I
have to go on. What do the results mean, specifically?

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sytelus
Researchers at Ohio State evaluated study participants using SAGE and then
evaluated the same subjects with other established assessment tools. The test
has a sensitivity of 79 percent and a false positive rate of 5 percent in
detecting cognitive impairment from normal subjects. Results were published in
the January-March 2010 issue of Alzheimer's Disease & Associated Disorders:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20220323](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20220323)

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dsego
What's the difference between this and standard MMSE?

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edem
Why there isn't an on-line version?

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davidvaughan
Some of the questions necessarily involve a pen and paper. eg "copy this
picture" and link the circled characters.

