About our Memory Test
Listen to our story and learn about our commitment.
The MemTrax Idea
Dr. Ashford began giving the MemTrax online memory loss test in 1988 at Southern Illinois University, using the old slide show carousel to project the images on a wall and asking attendees to report when they saw a repeat picture. He visited retirement homes and elderly communities. sharing information and administering MemTrax in a large group setting with his audience watching the slides. The first MemTrax users would write down whether or not they have seen a repeat image using a pencil and paper score card. That was the very first version of the MemTrax online dementia and Alzheimer’s test!
As his son, I would volunteer to help at these events in my college years. As a computer gamer and technology enthusiast I had the bright idea of taking this memory test and putting it online to be available all around the world so people could use it freely. This idea became real, as Dr. Ashford and his friends had already been developing a computerized version of MemTrax memory loss test that had the capability to be administered widely, use different pictures, and be scored automatically by the computer.
The humble beginning of the MemTrax online memory test included vague instructions, pixelated images, and a mathematical score that was hard to interpret even for a professional. We found a way to collaborate in peace, for the most part, and work well in developing the test and website for MemTrax.com. We had several versions across different URLs: .com, .net, and .org, until we found the version that worked best for our users.
It was this father and son collaboration that allowed the current Memtrax online memory test to exist today. By working together, we continued to develop the test to include different algorithms to randomly select different order sets along with image sets to ensure no two MemTrax tests were the same. This variable variety has made MemTrax the first online memory test that can test memory precisely, repeatedly, and frequently, with reliable test-retest measurement.
As the test developed, a college friend of mine, Keith Hamrick, helped me create the business. Together we all created a company, MemTrax LLC, to help fund the expensive development costs, host the servers, and collaborate on how we could support such a venture. Another friend, Robby McCullough, joined the effort with incredible web tech skills that have created the masterpiece the site is today. The business has been growing for nearly 5 years now and is thankful for the support of its users, family, and friends. We plan to re-invest the company’s earning in innovative ways to change the way people manage brain health and memory, promote healthy aging, and make a difference in millions of people lives across the world.
Looking Forward
Now that the online memory test and website are up and running, we turn our attention to research groups and partners to help us conduct meaningful research studies to improve the MemTrax tool kit. As more and more people take the memory loss test, the precision and reliability of the test will increase. So, every user is a contributor to the improvement of the test and the advancement of memory science. Our plans for the future include MemTrax Plus; a series of cognitive tests that measure all different areas of brain functionality quickly, simply, precisely, and reliably.
We even want to see MemTrax online memory tests used by clinicians to help them monitor patients over time and to receive notifications of the first possible signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia. As a thermometer is used in the doctor’s office to measure temperature, the MemTrax memory loss test would be there to measure brain health.