IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Care Corporation (MCC), a health care company specializing in the early detection and management of Alzheimer’s disease announced it will donate the use of its clinically validated MCI Screen during the month of November. In recognition of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, physicians will have access to the memory assessment tool without a fee. The technologically advanced memory test is the most thoroughly validated clinical tool for early detection of memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease.
The MCI Screen is a 10-minute, computer based exam which allows specialists and primary care doctors to detect memory loss due to early Alzheimer’s disease with 97% accuracy. The easy-to-administer test detects Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a transition stage between the cognitive changes in normal aging and more severe impairment associated with dementia. Because MCI is also the first stage of Alzheimer’s disease, detecting it can allow physicians to intervene early to manage the disease effectively. According to a recent Mayo clinic study, MCI patients have a 60% conversion rate to AD within six years.
Since the test is quick and noninvasive, it makes screening and early diagnosis possible for more people with concerns about memory loss. The computerized test provides the physician with an instant report of the patients’ memory function. Physicians can review the results and, depending on the outcome, pursue additional diagnostic tests as needed. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends cognitive assessment whenever there is evidence or suspicion of memory loss.
Research confirming the accuracy and sensitivity of the memory test was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in March of 2005. The study proved that by applying statistical modeling to the neuropsychological test battery used by the National Institute of Aging Disease Research Centers, the accuracy for distinguishing normal aging from the mildest stage of Alzheimer’s disease increased to 97%. This accuracy surpasses that of other more expensive and invasive evaluation methods. The statistical model developed by a team lead by Dr. William Rodman Shankle, M.D., allows doctors to more accurately detect patients with mild cognitive impairment, a condition which precedes dementia caused by AD.
Study data was collected over the course of 10 years and included 471 subjects. A battery of neuropsychological tests, diagnostic laboratory testing and imaging studies were used to confirm the stage and diagnosis of each subject. A copy of the article is available on the company website: www.mccare.com
Over 20,000 patients have been evaluated with the MCI Screen by healthcare professionals in the USA during the past year. Three major Japanese healthcare companies also began distributing the technology in Japan earlier this year through licensing agreements with MCC.
Physicians and other health care providers can sign up to use the system through the company website: www.mccare.com. In support of early detection during National Alzheimer’s Awareness month, fees for all new users will be waved during the month of November.
About Medical Care Corporation:
Medical Care Corporation (MCC) specializes in medical technologies that enable healthcare providers to deliver improved levels of care in the dementia field. MCC’s electronic Dementia Care System gathers, organizes, and synthesizes patient and treatment information so that professionals can offer a “best-practice” level of dementia care. The MCI Screen, the centerpiece of MCC’s proprietary technologies, is the most sensitive tool available for detecting early stage memory loss. This highly sensitive test allows healthcare providers to identify and manage Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders at the earliest stages and use currently approved treatment modalities more effectively. The company is also a leader in communicating the value of prevention and early detection to patients and caregivers through its website and educational materials. More information about the company is available at two websites: For Healthcare providers: www.mccare.com; For Patients and Caregivers: www.preventad.com.
Medical Care Corporation
CONTACT: Dennis Fortier of Medical Care Corporation, +1-949-838-0154, ordfortier@mccare.com; or Diane Daybreak at +1-503-620-6089, ordiane@daybreakbusinessconsulting.com, for Medical Care Corporation
