Neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge have found that signs of brain dysfunction can be detected nine years before a patient is diagnosed with dementia. The work was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank repository of medical and genetic information on 500,000 people aged 40-69. The data also contained information about the cognitive state of the volunteers and the number of falls — imbalances can also signal dementia.
This information allowed scientists to retrospectively assess when patients first showed signs of dementia.
People who subsequently developed Alzheimer’s disease scored lower on cognitive tests than healthy people. They also fell more frequently during the year prior to diagnosis.
“When we reviewed the patients’ medical records, it became clear that they had some cognitive impairment several years before the symptoms of dementia were obvious enough to make a diagnosis. The disorders were often minor and appeared an average of five to nine years before the diagnosis was made,” the scientists noted.
According to them, the results of the study will identify people who can participate in clinical trials of potential new treatments for dementia.
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