Breakthrough test could detect dementia 'a decade before diagnosis'

Dr Hilary lists the early symptoms of dementia Scientists have hailed a new way to scan the brain that could detect dementia a decade early in a breakthrough discovery. The test is able to map potential changes in the brain that could predict Alzheimer’s disease . Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the UK, thought to account for between 60 and 70 percent of cases.

It is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms develop gradually over many years and eventually become more severe. The condition affects multiple brain functions resulting in memory problems, difficulty with speech and personality changes, among other symptoms. Typically, it can take a while to get a diagnosis as people may mistake early symptoms for classic signs of getting older.

READ MORE Pharmacist recommends best two hayfever tablets found in most shops A new method of scanning the brain could detect Alzheimer's a decade in advance (Image: Getty) But now a study has found that a specialised scan could determine your risk of Alzheimer’s years in advance. The research, published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging , suggested that using a specialised diffusion weighted MRI scan could identify warning signs long before significant cognitive decline and irreversible neuronal damage. This could therefore help patients seek early disease-modifying treatments, the researchers hope.

First author of the study Rongxiang Tang, from the University of Cal.