The Utility of a Brief Memory Screen in the Diagnosis of Mild Memory Impairment in the Elderly: Preliminary Study

Objective: This study evaluated the utility of the Florida Brief Memory Screen (FBMS), a new memory screening measure developed for Spanish-speaking and English-speaking subjects, which takes only 3-4 minutes to administer. Methods: The FBMS was administered to 25 patients with probable Alzheimer disease, 23 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 80 cognitively normal elderly. Results: The FBMS evidenced good test-retest reliability and high correlation with standard measures of memory. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the FBMS correctly classified 100% of patients with probable Alzheimer disease and 87.5% of normal elderly subjects. Sensitivity and specificity for patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment was 82.6% and 87.5%, respectively. Performance on the FBMS was generally independent of the effects of age, education, or primary language. Conclusion: The FBMS is a reliable and a valid measure when screening for memory impairment in the elderly and when determining whether a more extensive evaluation is warranted. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009; 17: 437-440)