Pablo Martino, a professor at the UNR Faculty of Psychology and a researcher at Conicet (National Institute of Neuroscience) developed a test to detect mild cognitive impairment that allows for preventive action against potential cases of dementia.
Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability and dependency among older adults and a challenge for healthcare systems. There are currently nearly 55 million people worldwide with this condition, a figure that is expected to exceed 150 million by 2050, according to data from the World Health Organization.
Early detection is now one of the main strategies for stemming the alarming rise in dementia, as it allows for early implementation of pharmacological and other strategies to delay the onset of symptoms and mitigate the subjective, family, and healthcare costs.
Pablo Martino, a professor at the UNR School of Psychology and a researcher at Conicet (National Institute of Neuroscience and Neuroscience) developed a test called "Cavac" (Auditory Verbal Screening for Cognitive Alterations) that can detect mild cognitive impairment, a condition that subtly affects memory and other mental faculties in adults. A significant percentage of people with this impairment progress to dementia, a more severe condition that compromises their autonomy, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common form. From then on, people require care and, in some cases, institutionalization.
In this way the test is A promising tool for identifying potential cases of dementia. To construct it, the items were first developed, then subjected to expert judgment, and then administered to the general adult population, people with mild cognitive impairment, and people with dementia. This study, conducted by Martino and colleagues in 2024, demonstrated preliminary evidence of good sensitivity and specificity in discriminating cases of benign cognitive aging from those of mild cognitive impairment. "During the validation study, expert review was used, internal consistency was analyzed, and convergent validity was tested, with promising results," the professional stated.
The test takes ten minutes to complete, is easy to administer and grade, is non-invasive, and consists of questions and mental tasks that the person being tested must complete, such as recalling a list of words, repeating several series of numbers, and completing sentences to make sense of them. It explores several mental areas in adults, especially orientation, attention, memory, and executive functions. Despite these important advances, the psychologist cautions that the test requires further research to improve the level of evidence for this tool, as so far only one validity study has been conducted with a limited clinical sample size.
Rethinking old age
According to the Pan American Health Organization, life expectancy in Argentina has reached 77,5 years, a figure higher than the world average (73,3 years) but lower than that of high-income countries (80,1 years). The sustained reduction in infant mortality, greater availability of treatments for diseases, the number of healthcare workers, and access to medical infrastructure due to increased urbanization are factors behind this global trend. This phenomenon was only temporarily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The extension of life expectancy leads us to consider policies for this currently larger population group. "It's about rethinking old age, generating new goals, new activities during this increasingly extended period. This is one of the major challenges for health systems in the coming years," says Martino.
Advancing age facilitates the development of cognitive decline, considered a multicausal phenomenon, according to the researcher. On the one hand, there may be a genetic predisposition, but on the other, there is lifestyle, diet, physical exercise, level of stimulation, educational opportunities, and access to healthcare. All of this determines whether a person can experience healthy and dignified cognitive aging or not, with the possibility of developing symptoms.
The pillars of prevention continue to be lifestyle and cognitive stimulation. This includes methodical practice of puzzles, as well as reading, writing, participation in memory workshops, and adult courses, among others—anything that represents a challenge and intellectual effort.
The general recommendation is to take the test starting at age 50 as a routine checkup and monitoring. The test is designed, on the one hand, for clinical use, so that psychologists, neurologists, or psychiatrists specializing in adults can administer it in their office or in a hospital, and also for community-based awareness, prevention, and early detection campaigns for cognitive impairment.
To develop the test, Dr. Martino collaborated with Argentine psychologists and neurologists, including Dr. Daniel Politis (HIGA-UBA-CONICET), Dr. Mauricio Cervigni (UNR-CONICET), and Dr. María Marta Esnaola (Sanatorio Mater Dei).
The test, which is free for professionals to use, can be downloaded along with the validation article at the following link: Construction and validation of a test for verbal auditory screening for cognitive disorders (CAVAC)
Journalist: Victoria Arrabal/Photographer: Camila Casero