Alzheimer's Care Network and BrainLane.net Launch Online Mild Cognitive Impairment Screening/Psychiatric Clinic Support Network

Brainlane.net, the first online population short term memory and learning performance testing center opens for population services. For pennies a day, individuals can have unlimited access to a short, video game like memory test - establishing their baseline or normal memory fitness and monitor forward for mild cognitive impairment - the early signature of Alzheimer's - or other serious mental disorders. Video and Symposium Abstract are available at www.brainlane.net or the www.ibhealth.net online electronic medical record (HIPAA)services network.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 4, 2003 -- Psychiatrists are promoting that baseline memory fitness records become part of a patients medical records -- something like the x-rays a dentist utilizes, only a past record of personal memory fitness. Dr. Wesson Ashford, M.D., Ph.D., announced at the 156th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatry Association that www.brainlane.net, the online memory testing center of the End Alzheimers 2012 Task Force, had successfully developed a cost effective online short-term memory and learning performance testing center -- giving online visitors access to testing and management of their baseline memory fitness records.

Most serious mental disorders manifest symptoms of reduced short-term memory and learning performance capacities -- long before other symptoms are evident. The new online testing services allow individuals to take a short, video game like image comparison test; and by taking several tests, establish a normal" memory fitness baseline record. If over time, the subscriber scores lower than they should -- it could mean several things. They could have had a bad nights sleep, or be suffering from fatigue and sleep deprivation; or having a reaction to drugs and allergies. There could be a developing brain tumor or perhaps mild cognitive impairment, the early signature of Alzheimers disease. This new testing method allows people to be pro-active regarding their memory fitness and Dr. Ashfords team sees the potential for the services to save lives as well as assist the doctors in their efforts to diagnose and develop effective treatment strategies for their patients.

The statistics of memory disorders are overwhelming. When an area like San Francisco is considered, over 10,000 people will be diagnosed with Alzheimers every calendar year. Presently, these cases are being diagnosed later in the disease process than they could be. Catching the disease in the early stages allows swift treatment by doctors utilizing three FDA approved drugs in conjunction with aggressive anti-disease lifestyle programs. If, the disease process is slowed, the patients need to be institutionalized into a nursing home may be prolonged or avoided. When the expense of establishing a personal memory fitness and baseline monitoring service is considered against the cost of institutionalized or late stage disease treatments-- it appears to be a good investment. In essence, the online testing services allow the patients to pro-actively assist the doctors in monitoring for serious mental disorders. As a comprehensive service, once a patient detects a memory problem, there is a ready and waiting medical/care-giving network available for treatment support.

In the panel discussion, Dr. Ashford presented a demonstration of the short-term memory and learning performance test that is now available to the population. The testing platform is also
available to doctors as a component of the iBHealth.net HIPAA compliant online doctors office/clinic electronic medical record management service network. These programs invite doctors and care givers to join a focus group where the professionals will be given free access to personal memory testing and baseline monitoring subscriptions, acquainting them with the testing platforms and encouraging them to integrate the services into their day-today practice of care giving.

Presently the personal memory testing costs $10 a year, which gives the subscriber unlimited access to a simple to take, video game like image comparison test. After login the test taker sets the controls of the test -- determining how many images will be shown in the test and the time each image will be displayed. The test taker can make the test very difficult or trim it so it is easier to take or administer. These control features are very helpful if the test is being administered to the elderly and/or not so computer literate. The variations also have proven very helpful in the clinical versions of the test as the doctor often meets a patient without any record of memory fitness -- in this case the test immediately establishes a point of reference that can be used to monitor treatment response or disease progress.

There are serious financial shortages facing the medical industry and the mental health industry -- and the expense of diagnostics is one of them. Dr. Ashford stressed, If one patient in a thousand has mild cognitive impairment and it costs $800 for a brain scan of each patient to detect damages to the patients brain -- that is an $800,000 project -- for one effective diagnosis. This online memory test could establish baseline (normal memory fitness) monitoring those same 1000 patients for a year --costing under $10,000 and perhaps detecting a number of memory disorders".

Dr. Ashford stressed that the industry of memory testing has often been overlooked and the advances having been made hold great promise. There are programs of memory testing that accurately appraise a patients cognitive function capacity, monitor stroke recovery, help manage disability therapy, and screen for early detection of Alzheimers disease. The online memory test is an excellent way to increase the populations awareness of memory fitness and assist their efforts to pro-actively screen themselves for any serious memory problems that could develop. If individuals monitor their own personal memory and work in concert with their doctors and caregivers, fewer incidents of late stage disease diagnosis would occur.

The Internet Broadcasting Health Network (www.ibhealth.net) is a founding sponsor of the End Alzheimers 2012 Task Force (www.endalzheimers.com), in which Dr. Ashford has established a professional focus group relating to memory research and care givers having access to the various testing experts and platforms. Accessing the population testing and professional groups is possible through www.brainlane.net.

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