PREMAZ: Precision Memory Assessment Tool

Introducing PREMAZ: Our New Licensed Precision Memory Assessment Tool

I am excited to announce that our practice is now officially licensed to administer the PREMAZ (Precision Memory Assessment by Zest) test. This is a powerful, Cambridge University-backed digital tool that fills a major gap in how we monitor and protect brain health—especially for those of us focused on longevity and preventing age-related cognitive decline.

PREMAZ is a quick (~10-minute), self-administered test you can complete at home on a tablet or computer (we recommend not using a phone for optimal accuracy). It is designed as a baseline assessment and repeatable tool to track subtle changes over time. Results give us objective, high-resolution data on your memory precision—the quality and fidelity of what you remember, not just whether you remember something at all.

Why PREMAZ Is Superior to Standard Tests Like the MoCA

Traditional cognitive screens such as the MoCA or MMSE use binary scoring (“Did you recall the word list or not?”). They are excellent for detecting moderate-to-advanced impairment but often miss the earliest, most subtle changes that begin decades before symptoms appear.

PREMAZ measures memory precision on a continuous scale—essentially how accurately and vividly you recall details (e.g., exact object locations or features). This makes it far more sensitive to the gradual “blurring” of memory that is one of the first biological signs of Alzheimer’s pathology.

The science is robust and published in peer-reviewed journals:

• Lower memory precision is directly linked to higher tau burden in key brain regions (entorhinal cortex and inferior temporal areas) even when standard neuropsychological scores remain normal.  Individuals with poorer baseline PREMAZ scores also showed faster cognitive decline over 5 years on composite measures like the PACC5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37300913/
• Precision memory tasks are more sensitive than traditional tests to early medial temporal lobe changes and predict longitudinal decline in clinically normal older adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36516558/
• Hippocampal activity during encoding specifically predicts later memory precision (not just binary success), while cortical regions handle general recall accessibility. This aligns perfectly with the earliest targets of Alzheimer’s pathology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34407192/

In short, PREMAZ can identify patients at very high risk of developing dementia within the next 5 years—well before symptoms or standard tests flag a problem. It also excels at tracking progress over time, whether from lifestyle interventions, medications, or other therapies. Recent data even confirm it works reliably without supervision (over 500 remote tests showed high adherence and completion rates comparable to in-clinic testing).

For more details:

• Patient Information on the PREMAZ test: Google Drive link
• How to Complete the PREMAZ Test (step-by-step): Google Drive link
• Excellent overview video by Dr. Tran (my monthly ApoE4 discussion partner): Watch here

If you are interested in establishing a cognitive baseline or monitoring for subtle decline (whether you are an “optimizer” in your 30s–60s, noticing subjective changes in your 60s–70s, or dealing with brain fog/TBI history), please reach out to us. We will guide you through scheduling and interpretation.

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