What are the latest advances in dementia diagnosis?

Techniques to diagnose dementia have advanced rapidly in recent decades.

Yet despite this, too many people worldwide living with dementia do not receive a timely diagnosis, which prevents them from accessing the support and services they deserve. 

We spoke to Dementia Australia Honorary Medical Advisor Professor Michael Woodward about how the tools to diagnose dementia have improved, as well as the new advancements he hopes will allow more people to receive a timely diagnosis.

Why is dementia such a challenging condition to diagnose?

"There are three main barriers to diagnosis.

Firstly there’s still resistance from physicians, as well as patients, to pursue a diagnosis because there is still significant stigma associated with dementia. 

Secondly, many people still hold the incorrect view that dementia is a normal part of ageing and that what they are experiencing is normal.

The third challenge is the difficulty in making an accurate diagnosis in the early stages of dementia.

This is key because the earlier you receive a diagnosis, the more opportunity you have to access potential treatments as well as support and services."

How have the techniques and tools used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease improved in the past 20 years?

"Basically what we had 20 years ago was structural neuroimaging that could exclude other conditions, as well as look at other factors that could contribute to dementia such as vascular disease.

Now we still use structural neuroimaging but the recent development of effective biomarker tests has made diagnosis much more reliable.

There have been a range of biomarker tests developed that can detect changes in metabolism in areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

These include plasma biomarker blood tests that can detect the presence of amyloid in the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

We also now have access to amyloid PET scans, where you can determine the level of amyloid in the brain, which previously was only possible to do after someone had died."

What upcoming advancements are you expecting to see in the next 20 years?

"In 10-20 years’ time I expect us to use biomarkers to not only diagnose forms of dementia other than Alzheimer's disease but also identify which specific therapies that are most suitable for you.

With a combination of more accurate biomarkers, as well as access to a greater range of therapies currently under development, in 10- 20 years we will hopefully be able to target treatments specifically for a person’s specific condition and genetic profile, similar to how we treat, for example, breast cancer today."

Find out more

For more information about dementia diagnosis and the benefits of receiving a timely diagnosis, visit the Assessment and diagnosis page on our website.

Find out more about how keeping your brain healthy not only increases the number of healthy years of life, in many cases it also supports people diagnosed with dementia to live as well as possible for longer.

You can also contact the National Dementia Helpline for support, advice or information about any type of dementia-related issue.

The National Dementia Helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year on 1800 100 500or via our live chat.