CU Test Helps Hard Pressed HK Dementia Experts

Researchers at the Chinese University said on Thursday that a test it developed in 2015 has helped Hong Kong health authorities detect dementia cases quickly and more effectively.

The researchers said the test only takes five minutes and can even be done over the phone, helping hard-pressed health officials save time.

According to some studies, dementia affects one in every 10 elderly people in Hong Kong.

The researchers developed the test tailored for Hong Kong based on a 2005 Canadian test that won a lot of praise for its effectiveness in detecting symptoms of early onset dementia.

Assistant Professor Adrian Wong, who was one of the researchers, said the Canadian model used the Roman alphabet, making it difficult for experts to use it among the elderly in Hong Kong, as many didn't understand it.

The research team revamped the tests by substituting letters with numbers.

He told RTHK's Iris Yeung that the inclusion of reference scores for the different age and education groups of participants was also made to enhance the test's accuracy.

Since 2016, the team has provided training to over 4,500 social and healthcare professionals from different hospitals and NGOs all over Hong Kong.