Could new behavioral checklist predict dementia?

Experts at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference are pushing for a new pre-dementia type of neurological diagnosis: mild behavioral impairment.

The term would describe someone whose personality has changed in certain ways (based on a 34-question checklist), possibly as part of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. This new diagnosis would come before the existing mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.

Proponents of the new test say it might be a good way to detect cognitive changes in people (especially highly educated people) who know how to manipulate memory test results or can compensate for a cognitive backslide in other ways. This questionnaire would be an overall survey of personality, rather than a targeted test, and could make it more difficult for patients to consciously or subconsciously conceal the results.

But others say this method could lead to over-diagnosis or unnecessarily worry people who might never develop dementia. Also, since there is currently no treatment for the disease, some wonder if early detection is even useful.

Check out the other possible pros and cons to such a survey at the New York Times.