Scientists explain how to spot subtle signs of dementia up to nine years before diagnosis

Scientists have explained in a new study how they discovered subtle signs of dementia up to nine years before diagnosis.

If at-risk patients are screened early enough, it is possible to reduce their risk of developing further issues.

Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers looked at the past history of patients and 'it became clear that they were showing some cognitive impairment several years before their symptoms became obvious enough to prompt a diagnosis'.

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"The impairments were often subtle, but across a number of aspects of cognition," study author Nol Swaddiwudhipong, a junior doctor at the University of Cambridge, explained.

"This is a step towards us being able to screen people who are at greatest risk - for example, people over 50 or those who have high blood pressure or do not do enough exercise - and intervene at an earlier stage to help them reduce their risk."

Problem solving and number recall were two examples of the early signs of developing dementia, UK Biobank database data, used in the study, suggested.

Senior author, Dr Tim Rittman, added: “People should not be unduly worried if, for example, they are not good at recalling numbers.

“Even some healthy individuals will naturally score better or worse than their peers.

“But we would encourage anyone who has any concerns or notices that their memory or recall is getting worse to speak to their GP.”

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David Thomas, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “It is increasingly clear that the best chance to affect the course of the diseases which cause dementia lies in intervening at their earliest stages.

“Health services don’t routinely offer the tests needed to detect changes in brain function that happen before symptoms are noticeable, like those alluded to in this study.

“In fact, the NHS is currently unable to guarantee early and accurate diagnosis for people living with dementia.

“More than a third of people over 65 living with dementia go undiagnosed.

He added: “It’s now more important than ever that NHS services reflect our growing understanding of the importance of detection and early diagnosis.

“We must ensure that people with dementia don’t fall through the cracks at a time when treatment or risk-reduction interventions are most likely to be effective.”

In 2022, 11.25 percent of deaths in England and Wales were a result of dementia, while just 3.3 percent were a result of Covid-19.

Last month, 5,249 people in England died due to dementia.