Differentiating depression

doi:10.1136/bmj.b2833

Published 15 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2833
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2833

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TYM and Alzheimer’s disease

Differentiating depression

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How valid is the test your memory (TYM) test if patients withdepression were excluded?¹ A substantial number of patientspresent to memory clinics with cognitive impairment due to depressionrather than dementia. The specificity of the test to differentiatedementia from depression is crucial.

Studies using other cognitive screening tests such as the modifiedDanish version of the Addenbrooke’s cognitive examinationhave found similar, if not better, sensitivity and specificity(99% and 94% respectively) than those for TYM.² However, specificitydropped to 64% in patients with depression.²

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2833

Akshya Vasudev, specialty registrar 5, old age psychiatry¹

¹ Wolfson Research Centre, Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle on Tyne NE1 7RU

akshya.vasudev@ncl.ac.uk

Competing interests: None declared.

Brown J, Pengas G, Dawson K, Brown LA, Clatworthy P. Self administered cognitive screening test (TYM) for detection of Alzheimer’s disease: cross sectional study. BMJ 2009;338:b2030. (9 June.)[CrossRef]
Stokholm J, Vogel A, Johannsen P, Waldemar G. Validation of the Danish Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination as a screening test in a memory clinic. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2009;27:361-5. Epub 2009 Mar 20.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

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Self administered cognitive screening test (TYM) for detection of Alzheimer’s disease: cross sectional study: Jeremy Brown, George Pengas, Kate Dawson, Lucy A Brown, and Philip Clatworthy
BMJ 2009 338: b2030. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]