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More than 41 million people with dementia worldwide have not yet been diagnosed, according to a report from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).
Experts say diagnosis of the disease is vital, allowing those affected to receive support and treatment, which is more effective the earlier it starts, and to participate in clinical trials.
However, research conducted by McGill University in Montreal, Canada, shows that in some countries, up to 90% of people with dementia have not been diagnosed. The striking results, revealed in a report released by ADI, suggest that more than 41 million cases worldwide remain undiagnosed.
Dementia is one of the biggest health problems in the world. Globally, the number of people living with it is expected to exceed 130 million by 2050.
Paola Barbarino, chief executive of ADI, said the lack of awareness and stigma within health systems severely hampered efforts to support people with dementia.
“This misinformation in our health systems, along with the lack of trained specialists and readily available diagnostic tools, has contributed to alarming diagnostic rates,” said Barbarino, who is also a member of the World Board of Trustees. Dementia Council.
She said her main concern is that governments are still not prepared for the expected future increase in cases. “Frankly, the progress has been too slow,” she said.
Professor Serge Gauthier, of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, said he expected a “tsunami of diagnostic demand,” a trend that would put “extreme pressure” on health systems. .
In response to the report, Richard Oakley, director of research at the Alzheimer Society, said that failure to diagnose all people with dementia had left many people “unable to get the support they so desperately need. need “.
He said: “Low rates of dementia diagnosis were already a global problem, but these new figures show the scale of the crisis. For those who do not receive a diagnosis, it can cause stress, confusion and make them vulnerable to the effects of their condition.
“However, current diagnostic tests are expensive, often inaccessible and to make matters worse, there is still a stigma around dementia, creating additional barriers, especially in some cultures. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic. “
Researchers have developed a two-minute computer test that could diagnose Alzheimer’s disease up to five years earlier than using current methods. This would allow patients to start taking disease-modifying drugs earlier, the researchers said.
“The tests we are currently using to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease miss the first 20 years of the disease, which means we’re missing out on huge opportunities to help people,” said Dr. George Stothart, of the University of Bath, who led the research.
The new technique involves participants looking at a series of flashing images on a computer screen while wearing an electrode cap. The cap detects the subtle changes in brain waves that occur when memorizing an image, which are different in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Research published in the journal BRAIN suggests that the test is able to distinguish between healthy older people and those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease with a high degree of accuracy.
“The holy grail of a tool like this would be a dementia screening tool used in middle age for everyone, regardless of symptoms, the same way we test for high blood pressure,” Stothart said. “We’re a long way from that, but it’s a step towards that goal.”
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