Early assessment for Alzheimer's disease and dementia: comparison of two metamemory diagnostic tests.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing problem in the United States. Because of the inability of the Mini-Mental State Examination to detect AD in the early stages, other avenues of assessment must be explored. Two subjective assessment tests have been proposed to help evaluate progression from nonclinical to clinical AD: the Feeling-of-Knowing and Judgment-of-Learning tests. Currently, no conclusive evidence exists as to which test is better suited to assess for progression toward AD. These tests, however, have been reliable when used to assess metamemory. A decrease in metamemory can be an indicator of nonclinical AD. This article provides practice implications for mental health nurses in administering either test and calculating scores over time. The hope is that by using these two assessment tests, patients with AD may be diagnosed earlier and subsequently lead longer, better quality lives.