Diagnosing memory health issues in the best of circumstances is extraordinarily difficult. Patients typically make multiple visits to their doctor and take a rash of tests, many of which can produce flawed results — people who take the same test more than once, for example, will often score higher, potentially masking memory loss.
It’s even harder in rural America, which has a severe shortage of neurologists. Patients seeking memory care might have to make a long, expensive trip to a major city, which leads many people to wait until a problem becomes apparent. By then, it’s often too late — modern treatments can slow the progress of memory loss, but there’s no way to regain what’s been lost.
“So, how do you catch it early?” said Andrea Stocco, a UW associate professor of psychology. “We give people an app to have them check for themselves.”