The wording of questions health care providers use to detect patients at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease may result in patients answering the same questions differently, for different reasons, according to a new study.

For example, when providers ask “Have you had problems with your memory recently?” one patient may interpret “recently” as within the same week while another may interpret it as within the month. Or, a third may be frightened by trouble with their memory and brush off the question altogether.

This article can be found on both Futurity and News Medical Life Sciences.