1st ever in the World that establishes successful memory and cognitive rehabilitation (sustained) in varied neurology populations - Order your copy today
UMACE – Universal Memory And Cognitive Exam (Standardized, 2015) With International research grant award, “Capacity Australia”.
(Screening test for memory and cognitive impairment, for post-Trauma neuropsychiatric evaluation, for Pre-Post-Epilepsy surgery neuropsychiatric evaluation)
Special edition – UMACE Neurological research studies
Background UMACE
The rationale behind developing the UMACE screening tool is to detect memory and cognitive deficits at an early stage. Understanding the utmost need for developing such an instrument that would detect cognitive impairments at an early stage and would be applicable to all population directed towards developing UMACE. The available screening tools such as MMSE have laid the foundations for neuropsychological testing and UMACE has been structured on the same foundation.
Currently used neuropsychological test instruments are not applicable to most of the population around the world as the assessment is based on restricted criteria. Many research studies done on the available neuropsychological test batteries as MMSE illustrate concerns about detecting cognitive impairments at an early stage and the flexibility of application for global population.
The UMACE test comprises many primary and complex cognitive tasks divided into two sections (Section 1 - Memory recall and basic cognitive domains, Section 2 - Complex cognitive functions and Motor functions) to be able to detect cognitive impairments at an early stage. Most of the population has been focused for this study is the patients with neurological disorders.
The initial development of UMACE started in June 2010 when it raised the need for an instrument that could be used to detect cognitive impairments in the illiterate population while developing a technology-based therapy for dementia. The therapy research work was carried out using available MMSE test with minimal number of participants and the research paper titled: “Cohesion of Cognitive and Technological inference for treating Dementia” was presented at - The Fifth International congress of the Asian Society Against Dementia, Jointly organized by - Asian Society against Dementia, The Chinese Dementia Research Association, The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists— Hong Kong, Nov. 2011
The UMACE screening tool for memory and cognitive impairments has been developed in three different phases.
* First phase – Development of items with a screening tool kit with verbal and non-verbal tasks with the statistical assessment for tool validity, comparing UMACE with MMSE with two Normal sample groups (Literate and Illiterate N=78).
The research paper based on these studies was presented in Australia 2012
Title - “Using a Multicultural Model to develop a Universal Screening Tool for Cognitive and Memory Impairments” International Psychogeriatric Association International Meeting, Cairns, Australia, 7-11 September, 2012
* Second phase - The UMACE testing was performed for a group of 35 male and female patients with varied psychiatric disorders in a private psychiatric clinic using the original UMACE item structure and was compared with MMSE with a group of 35 male and female Normal population (N=70).
* Third phase - In the third phase different neurological disorder groups were administered in a private neurology clinic for 207 neurological disorder patients.
The additional test assessment functions are added in the third phase to assess the patients with Stroke or similar disorder having disabilities in speech and motor coordination.
The three-phase research work has been carried out in Nasik city, Maharashtra state, India by “Mental Health Aims” the registered mental health service providers with the affiliation of private psychiatrists and neurologist.
The standardization process for the UMACE screening tool was carried out with the funding award from “Capacity Australia”, a NGO based in Sydney, Australia in 2014 and statistical procedure and research documentation was completed with the help of two Australian authors in 2015
The research paper titled “Excellence in diagnosis in culturally diverse settings: the development of Universal Memory And Cognitive Exam (UMACE), has been presented in the 26th Alzheimer Europe Conference at Copenhagen Denmark, 30th October-2nd November, 2016
Standardization of “UMACE”
Three phase statistical results were drawn between 2014-15, using ROC curve analysis focusing sensitivity and specificity of UMACE test.
The full paper is published in 2018 in the International journal on the following link-
http://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.8_Issue.5_May2018/35.pdf
UMACE – Universal Memory And Cognitive Exam -application (the only test that is 100% applicable for disabled & illiterate populations, Globally)
*UMACE adapted and used at more than 10 District civil hospitals at “Memory Clinics”
*UMACE is used for Neuropsychiatric evaluation for post-TBI (for decision making about employee cognitive capacity specially for working employees who met with an accident)
*UMACE is used for Pre-Post-Epilepsy surgery by Neurosurgeons in India
*UMACE – VIP – the version for visually impaired is used for Neuropsychiatric evaluation for visually impaired from children to elderly (the only test available Globally)
Copyright of Dr Mangal Kardile