These 4 Tests May Reveal Dementia Risk 18 Years Before Diagnosis

Person taking testThe number of people with dementia in the UK is expected to rise to 1.4 million in 2040, Alzheimer’s Society writes. As it stands, almost a million of us have the condition (982,000). Still, the condition often goes undiagnosed. A 2018 study found that among older adults with likely dementia, 58.7% were either undiagnosed (39.5%) or unaware of the diagnosis (19.2%).One in four adults with suspected dementia wait for two years before getting help, the NHS writes, which is a shame as “an accurate and early diagnosis can have many benefits.” So it’s no wonder Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer’s Society, was intrigued by a 2015 paper which linked the results of memory and cognition tests to increased dementia risk 18 years before diagnosis.“This could mean there is a long window of opportunity for treatment in which we could one day halt or slow dementia,” he stated. What were the tests? The study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 2,125 participants over 18 years. Participants, whose average age was 73, were given four memory and thinking tests at the start of the study and every three years ’til the research ended.They were also tested for clinical dementia, which included participants’ medical history, a neurological examination, and 19 cognitive function tests. These were used to diagnose dementia directly, but were separate from the cognitive function tests scientists ran to check on people’s memory and thinking skills.The first two of the memory and thinking tests involved an exam called Immediate And Delayed Recall Of The East Boston Story, in which participants were told a short story verbally and asked to recall details twice (right after, then later). This tested their episodic memory.Another, the Symbol Digits Modalities Test, which asks people to link symbols to digits, tested their executive function. The fourth, called a Mini-Mental State Examination, was a 33-question form (available here). This checked their general orientation and global cognition. The average of these tests was calculated with different weighting for each exam, the researchers say.None of the participants had dementia at the start of the research. By the end, 21% (442 participants) developed clinical dementia. Researchers found that scoring one unit lower on overall cognitive testing, 13 and 18 years before the end of the study, was associated with an 85% greater risk of developing dementia. “While that risk is lower than the same one unit lower performance when measured in the year before dementia assessment, the observation that lower test scores 13 to 18 years later indicates how subtle declines in cognitive function affect future risk,” study author Dr Kumar B Rajan said.Does scoring low on these tests definitely mean I’ll get dementia?No, not definitely. This study only found a link and not a cause. Still, as Dr Brown told Alzheimer’s Society, “Dementia often causes changes in the brain years before the symptoms become apparent. This study shows that there may be subtle indications of Alzheimer’s disease in thinking and memory as many as 18 years before a formal diagnosis could take place.” And Dr Rajan told Rush University, which was involved with the study: “The changes in thinking and memory that precede obvious symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease begin decades before.“Efforts to successfully prevent the disease may well require a better understanding of these processes near middle age.” Related...The Nutrient Linked To Lower Cancer, Heart Disease, And Dementia RiskThis Eating Change May Be A Sign Of Dementia Among Under-65sDementia Is The UK's Leading Cause Of Death, But How Does It Actually Kill?

Comments

Breaking news

'We have nowhere to go': Protests over School of Art decision to close studio

The Herald

Bondi claims DOJ is reviewing ‘tens of thousands’ of videos of Epstein with children, but no one seems to know what they are

40 minutes ago

Starmer ditches Pip benefit reforms in face of Labour revolt

Independent

King Charles appears in his element as he joyfully greets guests at Palace of Holyroodhouse garden party alongside Queen Camilla and Princess Anne

about 1 hour ago

Dailymail

Moment Border Force agents smash people smuggling ring as they arrest Gambian national in terraced family home 'who helped launder £3m in profits'

about 1 hour ago

I live with my new husband and ex to save money... here's how we make it work

Dailymail

Comments

Breaking news

'We have nowhere to go': Protests over School of Art decision to close studio

Woman pulls out huge knife and lunges at young reveller in London park

Man charged with murder and ‘child destruction’ after pregnant mum found dead

Keir Starmer Hit By Major Labour Rebellion As MPs Back His Welfare Bill

Florida cooperation with immigration enforcement sparks fears people will disappear into jails

Woman charged in Vermont border agent's death seeks 6-month delay in death penalty decision

Did Trump nab his Hannibal Lecter? At ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, Kristi Noem says ICE ‘detained a cannibal’

Starmer survives by skin of his teeth – and here’s what he must do now

Eggs-cellent news! Waffle House drops egg surcharges after prices fall

Mexican banks face cascading consequences following US sanctions

Years after problems with Flint’s water emerged, the town has finally replaced all of its lead pipes

Rattled Starmer scrapes through on welfare reform after last-minute concession to rebel MPs

DOE withholds billions from school for teacher training and afterschool programs in districts as it looks to trim agency

New study suggests common assumption about aging could be wrong

What the key witnesses at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial told the jury

Jennifer Aniston will star in series inspired by Jennette McCurdy's memoir 'I'm Glad My Mom Died'

Starmer abandons key welfare reforms in face of Labour revolt

Bondi claims DOJ is reviewing ‘tens of thousands’ of videos of Epstein with children, but no one seems to know what they are

Starmer ditches Pip benefit reforms in face of Labour revolt

Scot cops attend 'unexplained' death as officers lock down Glasgow street

Young boy left concussed after being attacked by teenager outside Glasgow McDonald's

MPs back watered-down welfare reforms after 11th-hour PIP U-turn

WH Smith bids goodbye after over 200 year legacy as shoppers furious over rebrand

Police uncover Scotland's largest cannabis farm to date worth £12 million

Blantyre couple celebrate diamond wedding

Wildfire heroes in action as part-time firefighters pictured tackling blazes

How did your MP vote on Labour's welfare bill?

How much do tennis players earn in prize money at Wimbledon?

UK records hottest day of year so far - as 40C highs close schools in Europe

Starmer survives rebellion as welfare cuts pass key vote

Keir Starmer suffers biggest rebellion yet on watered-down DWP benefit cuts

Santander agrees £2.65bn TSB takeover sparking job loss and branch closure fears

Brit found dead in Arizona named 12 years later after scientific breakthrough

See how your MP voted on DWP welfare bill after Keir Starmer's massive U-turn

Mum killed in alleged Leicester attack by driver who flipped his car pictured

Welfare bill passes crunch vote after dramatic PIP U-turn - what you need to know

Weary Ben Affleck shows strain of househunting amid search for pad near ex Jennifer Garner

RFK Jr. drops autism bombshell on Tucker Carlson as he says he's found the 'leading culprit'

Famous televangelist Jimmy Swaggart dies at age 90

Pictured: 'Beautiful and vibrant' mother, 56, who died after she was 'murdered by BMW driver'

Mother made four ambulance calls and had 90-minute wait before son died in hospital from sepsis, inquest hears

Meghan Markle's As Ever wine goes on sale for wild price per bottle... but it is already SOLD OUT

Katy Perry gets STUCK in flying metal sphere and nearly falls out mid-air... after crying amid Orlando Bloom split

King Charles appears in his element as he joyfully greets guests at Palace of Holyroodhouse garden party alongside Queen Camilla and Princess Anne

Moment Border Force agents smash people smuggling ring as they arrest Gambian national in terraced family home 'who helped launder £3m in profits'

I live with my new husband and ex to save money... here's how we make it work

Toddler found dead 'after being forgotten' in car in Spain during 35C afternoon as heatwave grips Europe

Doctor issues terrifying warning to plane passengers who wear common clothing item on flights

JASON GROVES analysis: After describing welfare reform as a 'moral imperative', Sir Keir has all but abandoned it...

Daughter splashed £38,000 stolen from dementia-suffering dad on holidays

What is Diddy’s life like in jail?

Fireworks to light up July 4 skies: Here’s the cities that will have the best view - and the duds that will be rainouts

All the states where minimum wage will rise in July

Not feeling national pride this 4th of July? You’re not alone

Abuser, cheater, charmer: Diddy’s trial revealed the many faces of the ‘freak-off’-loving impresario

Why families of Bryan Kohberger’s alleged victims might never find out what really happened the night of the murders

Al-Qaida-linked group claims attack against Mali army position near Senegal

Research points to intermittent fasting as one of the more effective restrictive diets

Disabled Labour MP breaks down in tears over party’s welfare cuts

Mysterious packages featuring a picture of Yosemite Sam — and containing cocaine — washed ashore along a Florida beach