The test is simple to use and easy to score, making it a reliable indicator of whether someone is in the first phase of a brain disease that progressively robs patients of their memories and personality, the researchers said.

A study found that the two-page questionnaire could detect 93% of patients with Alzheimer's disease compared to the standard dementia test which accurately detected only 52%. Questions included remembering a phrase, doing sums, identifying parts of a man's suit and drawing the time on a blank clock face.

Jeremy Brown, a consultant neurologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, who helped to devise the “test your memory”(TYM) test, said: “It's a new screening test for Alzheimer's disease. It's not a diagnostic test but a test that allows a quick screening of patients with memory complaints to sort out those who need further assessment.”

Alzheimer’s Research Trust - New test improves dementia diagnosis