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Development of the electronic memory test for the elderly (ALBAV)

Publication at Third Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Arts |
2022

Abstract

Aim: A quick and easy electronic memory self-evaluation might be useful at home, at a doctor's outpatient clinic, for pre-screening in research and clinical trials and for other purposes. Such an option is lacking in the Czech Republic.

Therefore, the aim was to create such a platform. Methods: Based on an existing personal assessment with paper forms of the Amnesia Light and Brief Assessment (ALBA) and Picture naming and immediate recall (PICNIR) tests, we dveloped an electronic memory test called ALBAV.

The original principles were retained, both tests were combined into one evaluation, modified into an electronic form and adapted to the older generation, including training examples. Each subtest met the predefined rules according to which the stimulus material was created.

Results: We developed an electronic version of the ALBAV test, which consists of four parts. The first three of them assess short-term memory - to learn and then to recall 10 pictures that are easy to name even by patients with cognitive disorders, 10 words of the sentence and 10 gestures.

The last fourth part of picture naming evaluates long-term semantic memory with 10 images difficult to name by patients with cognitive impairment. We prepared 4 x 10 items for both the basic and parallel versions.

Conclusion: This unique and the first Czech ALBAV test was created for the electronic self-evaluation of memory not only in the elderly in the Czech Republic but with a potential to adapt it into other foreign languages. The future plan is to verify its validity in suitable individuals and to implement automatic self-assessments of the ALBAV test.