The Test Your Memory (TYM) Test Outperforms the MMSE in the Detection of MCI and Dementia

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usability of a Dutch translation of the Test Your Memory (TYM) test in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia as compared to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), in the setting of the memory clinic of a general hospital. Methods: Fourty-two participants referred to the memory clinic with memory problems and fourty-two healthy controls were assessed using the TYM and the MMSE. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the TYM and MMSE. Both instruments were tested against recently established clinical diagnostic criteria of MCI, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Results: The TYM demonstrated to be more sensitive in detecting dementia than the MMSE. The TYM also was better at discriminating between healthy controls and patients with MCI than the MMSE. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the TYM is more suitable as a practical tool for the early detection of dementia than the MMSE.