This is a meaningless test.  There is a far better one:

http://www.hartfordign.org/publications/trythis/issue03.pdf

I agree with Dennis.   That one single test was inadequate.   When my mother
in law was tested they used a lot of different kinds of little manual tests
like that, and they included a blood test as well as a brain scan.

I also want you to know that in EVERY single test, the doctor told my mother
in law she did "well for her age" which was so she wouldn't be afraid.   She
was terrified they would say she was "crazy".   So be aware that it is
probably somewhat common to reassure the person, even if they do show
deficits.

Another thing to consider is that you can't rely on what the patient relays
to you.  If they are having memory problems they could be making it up to
cover what they don't remember.   My mother in law was very good at that,
until my husband began accompanying her to all visits.    When he would say
"No, the doctor said (whatever it really was)" she just gave him a blank
look, because she honestly didn't remember what he said.

I'm wondering what the point is Dee dee?

It certainly isn't any kind of helpful OR meaningful assessment of
cognition or memory.

The first time we mentioned seeing some very slight signs of a problem
with my MIL to the family doc, he did a couple of quick and very
revealing tests in his office. I should mention that at this point, all
we were aware of was some slight memory issues. She seemed entirely
normal other than asking the same questions, having to be reminded of
dinner dates etc. - she was paying her bills, keeping her house clean,
driving her car - living her life as she always had.

He asked her a number of questions similar to a truncated Mini-mental
status examination (the MMSE). She did fairly well.  However then he
drew a little stick figure of a house (the kind we made as kids, that
shows the end with a triangular roof as well of as the sides of the
house in an approximation of a 3-D rendering). He asked her to copy it
- essentially, she drew a bunch of chaotic lines - she just couldn't
connect them to make anything that looked vaguely like the little
house.

He also did several clock faces with her. On one he drew a circle, put
a 12 in the circle at the top spot and asked her to put the rest of the
numbers around the edge, and put the hands on the clock in a specific
time. Instead of putting the numbers around the edge, she put 3, 4, 5,
trailing off sideways beside the 12 (obviously thinking it was 1, 2
rather than 12). He then drew a clock face with the numbers in place
and asked her to show 3 oclock. She wrote in two zeros beside the 3
(like it was a digital).

It was really shocking. It showed that it wasn't just memory at all,
but some really scary cognitive stuff going awry.

What the nurse did was less than useless - there are quick easy tests
that can be very revealing.

Here is more information, including a version of the MMSE anyone can
use.
http://www.alzforum.org/dis/dia/tes/neuropsychological.asp

Here is an article on the clock face test - it is such a simple thing,
but actually very accurate as a quick screen.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_n5_v41/ai_9101119

Mary G.