A common Alzheimer’s screening test may miss early warning signs in women.A new study shows women—who make up nearly two-thirds of U.S. cases—can still score well on standard exams like the Mini-Mental State Examination, after brain changes begin.Researchers analyzed MRI scans from 332 people at different stages of the disease to track changes in gray matter, the primary tissue responsible for processing information, memory, and high-level thinking.They say women’s brains appear to compensate for early damage by using more regions to help stay sharp.But that can mask the disease—so by the time test scores drop, damage may already be advanced, delaying treatment.Men showed gray matter shrinkage earlier, according to the results.In women, the decline began later but progressed faster and spread more widely.The authors say these results highlight the need for more tailored screening, including sex-specific standards to detect the disease earlier.Source: Brain CommunicationsAuthor Affiliations: Georgia State University, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, McGovern Medical School, UT Health .Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter